As the IPL 2026 season reaches its midpoint, the race for the playoffs is heating up. Tonight, the Rajasthan Royals return to their fortress, the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, looking to avenge a previous defeat against the high-flying Sunrisers Hyderabad.
With both teams currently sitting in the Top 4, this isn’t just about points, it’s about psychological dominance as we enter the business end of the tournament.
Under the full-time captaincy of Riyan Parag, RR have looked like a well-oiled machine. They sit comfortably at 3rd in the table with 10 points. The headline for them has been the meteoric rise of young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who is currently in the Orange Cap race. With Jofra Archer regaining his lethal pace and Ravi Bishnoi bamboozling batters, RR’s bowling attack is perhaps the most balanced in the league.
SRH, led by Ishan Kishan (who has filled in brilliantly for Pat Cummins), are the league’s ‘Powerplay Kings.’ Abhishek Sharma is currently leading the Orange Cap race with a staggering strike rate of 215+, while Heinrich Klaasen remains the most feared finisher in world cricket. SRH have won three on the trot and already have a 57-run victory over RR from earlier this month to back their confidence.
RR vs SRH, IPL 2026: Match details
- Date and Time: April 25; 7:30 pm IST/ 02:00 pm GMT
- Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
RR vs SRH, Head-to-Head Record in IPL
Matches played: 22 | Sunrisers Hyderabad won: 13 | Rajasthan Royals won: 9
Sawai Mansingh Stadium Pitch Report
The surface at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium tonight appears to be a classic Jaipur track with a slight modern twist. It is a firm, dry deck that should offer plenty of pace and carry for the fast bowlers in the opening exchanges, particularly with the new ball. However, as the match progresses, the pitch is expected to slow down slightly, bringing the spinners into play during the middle overs. While the large boundaries will challenge the power-hitters, the rapid outfield remains a bonus for batters. With dew likely to set in later, the ball will slide onto the bat better in the second innings, making chasing the preferred option for the captain winning the toss.
Also WATCH: Praful Hinge removes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius for ducks in his first over
Squads
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Ishan Kishan (c), Aniket Verma, Ravichandran Smaran, Salil Arora, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshal Patel, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Krains Fuletra, Zeeshan Ansari, Amit Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Shivam Mavi, Onkar Tarmale, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge, Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, David Payne, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, Kamindu Mendis, Eshan Malinga
Rajasthan Royals: Riyan Parag (c), Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Aman Rao, Dhruv Jurel, Ravi Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Raj Punja, Vignesh Puthur, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande, Sushant Mishra, Kuldeep Sen, Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Donovan Ferreira, Kwena Maphaka, Nandre Burger, Adam Milne, Shimron Hetmyer, Dasun Shanaka
RR vs SRH, IPL 2026: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- Sunrisers Hyderabad wins the toss and bowls first
- Rajasthan Royals’ powerplay score: 70-80
- Rajasthan Royals’ total score: 230-240
Case 2:
- Rajasthan Royals wins the toss and bowls first
- Sunrisers Hyderabad’s powerplay score: 65-75
- Sunrisers Hyderabad’s total score: 210-220
Match result: Rajasthan Royals to win the contest.
