Match: 36th Match, IPL 2026 Teams: Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Date: Saturday, April 25, 2026 Time: 7:30 PM IST (Night Match) Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur RR Captain: Riyan Parag SRH Captain: Ishan Kishan
Match Overview
This is a rematch of one of the most anticipated rivalries in IPL 2026. When these two sides met earlier in the season at Match 21 in Hyderabad, SRH handed RR their first loss of the season a 57-run defeat. That game ended RR’s four-match winning streak. RR have since bounced back strongly, while SRH arrive in Jaipur on the back of three straight wins including a huge 47-run win over Delhi Capitals.
Both teams now sit on 8 points and are separated only by net run rate. With a home advantage and a passionate crowd at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, RR will want to settle the score in Jaipur.
There is also a major team news angle going into this game: Pat Cummins, SRH’s regular captain who has missed the entire season so far with a lumbar stress injury, is targeted to return for this match. SRH head coach Daniel Vettori confirmed the plan. If Cummins plays, it reshapes SRH’s bowling attack entirely.
RCB, SRH, and RR are all locked on 8 points. What separates them is net run rate. A win here for either side could push them into the top two. Both teams have played a game more than PBKS’s early matches, so the playoff race is tighter than the numbers suggest.
RR Predicted Playing 11 vs SRH
| # | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Opener |
| 2 | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | Opener |
| 3 | Dhruv Jurel (wk) | No. 3 / Wicketkeeper |
| 4 | Riyan Parag (c) | Middle Order / Captain |
| 5 | Shimron Hetmyer | Middle Order Finisher |
| 6 | Donovan Ferreira | All-rounder |
| 7 | Ravindra Jadeja | Spin All-rounder |
| 8 | Jofra Archer | Pace Bowler |
| 9 | Nandre Burger | Left-arm Pace |
| 10 | Ravi Bishnoi | Leg-spinner |
| 11 | Sandeep Sharma | Pace Bowler |
Impact Player Options: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Shimron Hetmyer, Tushar Deshpande, Shubham Dubey, Brijesh Sharma
RR’s opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been the most talked-about partnership in IPL 2026. Sooryavanshi, who is still in his teens, has already scored 200+ runs this season including a 26-ball 78 against RCB. He received a personal message from Virat Kohli after that knock. Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi have consistently dismantled opposition attacks in the powerplay, and together they have made RR the most feared batting team in the opening six overs.
Dhruv Jurel at No. 3 provides solidity after the powerplay. He has scored two fifties this season and links the aggressive openers with the middle order. Riyan Parag’s middle order remains largely untested the top order has done so much damage that the captain has rarely needed to face more than a handful of balls in a chase.
On the bowling front, Ravi Bishnoi leads the wicket charts for RR this season. Jofra Archer brings genuine pace and is one of the most dangerous bowlers in the IPL when fully fit. Nandre Burger adds left-arm variety. Jadeja rounds out the attack with his left-arm spin and remains dangerous in the middle overs on any surface.
Key concern for RR: Their middle order specifically Riyan Parag and Hetmyer has not had much batting time. If the top three fall cheaply against a Cummins-led SRH attack, the untested middle order will face a real test.
SRH Predicted Playing 11 vs RR
| # | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abhishek Sharma | Opener |
| 2 | Travis Head | Opener |
| 3 | Ishan Kishan (wk/c) | No. 3 / Wicketkeeper / Captain |
| 4 | Heinrich Klaasen | Middle Order |
| 5 | Salil Arora | All-rounder |
| 6 | Aniket Verma | Middle Order |
| 7 | Nitish Kumar Reddy | All-rounder |
| 8 | Pat Cummins (if fit) | Pace Bowler / Regular Captain |
| 9 | Harsh Dubey | Spin All-rounder |
| 10 | Shivang Kumar | Pace Bowler |
| 11 | Eshan Malinga | Pace Bowler |
Impact Player Options: Heinrich Klaasen, Liam Livingstone, R Smaran, Sakib Hussain, Harshal Patel
Note on Pat Cummins: SRH coach Daniel Vettori confirmed the plan for Cummins to return on April 25 against RR. If Cummins plays, he is likely to replace Shivang Kumar or Shivam Mavi. His return would give SRH proper pace leadership and death bowling that they have clearly missed this season.
SRH’s top order remains explosive. Abhishek Sharma scored 135* off 68 in the last match against DC and now has nine T20 centuries equal to Virat Kohli for most by an Indian. Travis Head has had a quieter few games but remains dangerous from ball one. Ishan Kishan at No. 3 provides hitting power and smart captaincy.
Heinrich Klaasen, often used as an impact player, can be devastating at the death. He has 100 IPL sixes to his name and scored 37 off just 13 against DC.
SRH’s bowling is the more interesting question. Eshan Malinga has been outstanding he took 4/32 in the last match, giving him the third-best figures by an overseas bowler in SRH history. But without Cummins earlier in the season, they have depended heavily on uncapped bowlers. Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain both starred in the Match 21 win over RR, taking four wickets each. Their form will be key here too.
Key concern for SRH: Their bowling, especially at the death, has been inconsistent when Malinga is off. If Cummins is not fully fit or doesn’t play, SRH’s bowling depth at Jaipur’s big outfield becomes a worry.
Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur: Pitch Report & Stats
| Stat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total IPL Matches Hosted | 64 |
| Teams Batting First Wins | 20 |
| Teams Chasing Wins | 38 (over 60% success rate for chasing teams) |
| Average 1st Innings Score (IPL) | 164 |
| Average 2nd Innings Score (IPL) | 151 (chasing teams win more often despite lower average) |
| Highest Team Total at this Venue (IPL) | 219/5 by Punjab Kings vs RR (IPL 2025) |
| Lowest Team Total at this Venue (IPL) | 59 All Out by RR vs RCB |
| Highest Individual Score (IPL) | 113* by Virat Kohli (RCB vs RR, IPL 2024) |
| Best Bowling Figures (IPL) | 6/14 by Sohail Tanvir (IPL 2008) |
| Highest Successful Chase (IPL) | 215 by SRH vs RR (IPL 2023) |
| Boundary Size | Straight: 78 metres, Square: large outfield one of the biggest in IPL |
| Dew Factor | Significant in night matches helps batting second |
The Sawai Mansingh Stadium has one of the biggest outfields in Indian cricket, making six-hitting harder here than at most other IPL venues. The 200-run barrier has been crossed only eight times in Jaipur one of the fewest among active IPL venues. Despite that, chasing teams win over 60% of games here, largely due to dew in night matches.
The pitch tends to be balanced early pacers get some movement in the first few overs, and spinners grip as the innings progresses. Pacers account for about 65% of wickets at this venue. The dew factor in night matches means the second innings tends to play easier for batting, and bowlers find it harder to grip the ball.
The highest successful chase here is 215, done by SRH against RR in IPL 2023. That match, combined with the overall data, suggests that a total of 175–190 is chaseable, but anything above 200 becomes difficult to defend. For both teams, winning the toss and choosing to bowl first remains the smartest call at this venue.
Key Player Stats (IPL 2026 Season)
| Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|
| Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | RR | 200+ runs this season; 78 off 26 vs RCB; Orange Cap contender |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | RR | 2 half-centuries this season; part of IPL 2026’s best opening pair |
| Dhruv Jurel | RR | 2 half-centuries; steadies RR after the openers |
| Ravi Bishnoi | RR | Season’s Purple Cap holder going into this match; 9+ wickets |
| Jofra Archer | RR | 5 wickets this season; genuine pace threat when fit |
| Abhishek Sharma | SRH | 135* off 68 vs DC in Match 31; 9 T20 centuries (equal to Kohli) |
| Ishan Kishan | SRH | 91 off 44 vs RR in Match 21; captaining with aggression |
| Heinrich Klaasen | SRH | 184 runs this season; 100 IPL sixes milestone crossed vs DC |
| Eshan Malinga | SRH | 4/32 vs DC; third-best figures by an overseas SRH bowler in IPL |
| Pat Cummins (if fit) | SRH | 18 crore captain returning; last bowled vs DC in 2025 playoffs |
Key Player Battles
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs Pat Cummins (if fit) This is the most anticipated contest of the match if Cummins is fit to bowl. The 18-year-old opener has been fearless against all types of bowling this season. Cummins is one of the best pace bowlers in T20 cricket and will have specific plans for Sooryavanshi. How Sooryavanshi handles Cummins in the first over will set the mood of the entire RR innings.
Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Eshan Malinga Jaiswal is a high-class left-handed opener. Malinga bowls right-arm medium-fast with sharp variations, including reverse swing in later overs. In the Match 21 loss at Hyderabad, Jaiswal didn’t make a significant contribution. In Jaipur on home soil, he will want to correct that.
Ravi Bishnoi vs Travis Head / Abhishek Sharma Bishnoi leads the Purple Cap race with 9+ wickets this season. Both SRH openers are aggressive right-handers who take on spin. Bishnoi’s googly and top-spinner on this surface could be very difficult to read. If he can keep these two quiet in the middle overs, RR’s bowling wins the night.
Ishan Kishan vs Jofra Archer Kishan hits hard and early at No. 3. Archer at full pace is almost unplayable in his best form. At the Sawai Mansingh, where the outfield is large and conditions stay dry, Archer’s pace and bounce can be lethal in the powerplay. This battle will decide whether SRH’s chase can get off to a strong start.
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Final Verdict
Both teams come into this game on strong form. SRH have won three in a row. RR beat LSG convincingly in their last match and are back on track after their one loss of the season which came against SRH in Hyderabad.
The Jaipur conditions give RR a clear advantage. Over 60% of matches at this venue go to the chasing side, so the toss will be crucial. RR are the better batting team for this surface their openers can attack from ball one, and Bishnoi and Jadeja suit the conditions perfectly.
If Pat Cummins returns and bowls well, SRH’s chances improve greatly. An underperforming SRH attack without Cummins still got the job done in Hyderabad, but Jaipur’s large outfield and slower pace conditions will test their spinners and all-rounders more.
The Sooryavanshi–Jaiswal opening pair remains the biggest variable. If they fire in the powerplay, RR will be in control regardless of conditions.
