Rajasthan Royals have been on an absolute rampage and have tightened their grip on the top of the table in IPL 2026. Having won all their matches so far, Riyan Parag’s men look like the team to beat in the competition. Hence, Sunrisers Hyderabad will have their task cut out for them when they take on the 2008 champions in Hyderabad on Monday. The most interesting battle will be how SRH handle the storm named Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The Royals have historically struggled at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium but will go into the game as favourites, based on their current form. SRH, meanwhile, have slumped this season, losing three out of four matches. Their bowling has been below par and they will have to be at their best against a formal RR batting line-up.
SOORYAVANSHI BOWLERS VS SRH
Apart from their match against Kolkata Knight Riders, it is fair to say that the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers have struggled in the competition. In three of the four matches, they failed to defend the total score, exposing a clear vulnerability.
Against the Royals, they will field Sooryavanshi, who has shown no regard for reputation, and will take on the likes of Josh Hazlewood and Jasprit Bumrah with confidence and utmost ease. With SRH’s bowling not at its best, Sooryavanshi will be eager to impress.
Hyderabad is the place to bat and if the SRH bowlers fail to hit the right spots, they could be in stunning form for a long day with Sooryavanshi. While SRH have yet to face Sooryavanshi, they will be well aware of the threat he poses if they are not released soon.
SRH BATTERY TOO MUCH PRESSURE?
With the bowlers struggling, the pressure has increased on the Sunrisers Hyderabad batsmen. Earlier, Heinrich Klaasen had said that the team needed about 220-230 runs for their bowlers to have a real chance of winning.
While Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Klaasen are among the cleanest hitters in world cricket, Nitish Reddy and Aniket Verma are also capable hitters, expecting 220-230 in every match is unrealistic.
For SRH to bounce back, their bowlers need to step up. They sorely missed Pat Cummins, who is yet to play this season. Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan, who was leading the IPL side for the first time, felt the pressure, which reflected in his batting.
After his 80 against RCB in the tournament opener last month, Kishan managed scores of just 14, 1 and 27. With SRH’s lackluster bowling performance, they face another tough test against Rajasthan Royals.
DOES RAJASTHAN HAVE REASONS TO WORRY?
As for Rajasthan Royals, a win in their next match would make them a strong contender for the playoffs. They enjoyed explosive starts from their openers, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal, while Dhruv Jurel was also among the runs. The trio at the top are in excellent form.
Apart from them, however, the Royals batting lacked consistency. Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer have not contributed significantly while Ravindra Jadeja is yet to find his best form with the bat. Sunrisers Hyderabad have struggled with the bowling but will know that early wickets – especially from Jaiswal, Sooryavanshi and Jurel – could put the Royals’ middle order under immense pressure.
HYDERABAD: RANGE AND CONDITIONS
The pitch in Hyderabad has been excellent for batting in the last three seasons. In the only match on the field so far, Nitish Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen have shown that batsmen can play their shots freely. However, there has also been some help to the bowlers, as pointed out by Mohammed Shami. Given the history of the place, teams probably prefer the chase.
There will be no rain in Hyderabad on Monday, but conditions will be hot with temperatures ranging between 35°C and 37°C. Skies are expected to be clear, slightly humid.
SRH vs RR: HEAD-TO-HEAD
Sunrisers Hyderabad have won 12 out of 21 matches against Rajasthan Royals. In Hyderabad, SRH have been particularly dominant, winning five of the six meetings between the two sides. In their previous encounter, Sunrisers beat Royals by 44 runs with Ishan Kishan scoring an unbeaten 106 off 47 balls.
SRH vs RR: Predicted XI
SRH Predicted XI: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (c, wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Harshal Patel, Eshan Malinga
Impact Sub: Jaydev Unadkat
RR Expected XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma
Impact Sub: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
13 Apr 2026 11:25 IST
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