When Sunrisers Hyderabad went down to defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their opening round of IPL 2026 last month, it looked like they might struggle to stay in the playoffs. However, almost a month later, the picture has changed and SRH is staging a spirited comeback.
They will be confident of extending their winning streak when they take on Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday. Their cause is further boosted by the return of Pat Cummins after a long battle with a back injury. SRH may also have a psychological advantage as Royals have not beaten them in the last three years.
Rajasthan, on the other hand, must tread carefully. Riyan Parag’s team started their campaign with three consecutive wins but then slipped after a series of defeats before bouncing back against Lucknow Super Giants. With the teams below them closing in, the Royals will need to keep winning to cement their position in the top four.
OVER RELIABILITY OF THE TOP ORDER
Rajasthan Royals must be wary of over-relying on the top three as it could hurt them in the long run. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been exceptional so far, but whenever they failed, Royals came under pressure.
This vulnerability was first exposed in their 57 run defeat against Sunrisers in Hyderabad. Against the Super Giants, the trio again fell behind but a lower-order effort helped them post 159 for six. Even then, the Royals were far from comfortable, relying on a strong bowling performance to seal the game.
With Sunrisers boasting a formidable batting unit, Rajasthan will need more effort with the bat if they are to come out on top.
CUMMINS RETURNS TO HYDERABAD STRENGTH
Meanwhile, Sunrisers will boost the return of Pat Cummins. On Friday, Cummins confirmed his availability for the upcoming match against Rajasthan Royals through an Instagram post. The Australian paceman struggled for about 10 months due to a back injury and even returned to Australia during the IPL. However, he has now passed a fitness test and is back in contention.
After Cummins’ return, he is expected to take over the captaincy duties from Ishan Kishan, who led the side impressively in his first stint as IPL skipper. His return could also force Dilshan Madushanka, who featured as an Impact Sub against the Capitals, to sit out.
Apart from the leadership, Cummins’ comeback will also boost the Sunrisers’ lower order batting. In 2022, Cummins hit a 14-ball fifty in IPL and that shows his credentials as a batsman. Players like Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain are also likely to benefit from sharing dressing room and field experience with the experienced Australian.
JAIPUR: PITTING AND CONDITIONS
Jaipur will host their first match of the season and a competitive contest is on the line. The average IPL score at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium is about 167 from 64 matches. The chasing sides have had significant success here, winning 41 of those games, suggesting that captains may prefer to bowl first after winning the toss. Notably, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s blistering 35-ball century at this venue came in a chase.
The weather is expected to remain clear with no rain forecast. It will be a hot trip with temperatures ranging from 35 to 37 degrees Celsius, with humidity likely to remain pleasant.
RR vs SRH: HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Sunrisers held a slight edge over the Royals in the head-to-head, winning 13 of their 22 encounters. Rajasthan once led the rivalry 9-8 but have since slipped and lost their last five matches in a row against the Orange Army. Their last win over Sunrisers came in 2023 when they registered a 72-run victory in Hyderabad. In Jaipur, the rivalry remains even, with both sides winning after two matches.
RR vs SRH: Predicted XI
RR Predicted XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma, Nandre Burger
Impact Sub: Shubham Dubey
SRH Predicted XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, (week), Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins (C), Shivang Kumar, Harsh Dubey, Sakib Hussain, Eshan Malinga.
Impact Sub: Salil Arora
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
25 Apr 2026 11:12 IST
