The second match of IPL 2025 took place on March 23, 2025, at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) faced Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a day-night game, and it turned out to be a run-fest. SRH finished their innings at a massive 286 for 6 in 20 overs, thanks to an incredible century by Ishan Kishan. RR chose to bowl first after winning the toss, but SRH’s batsmen made it a tough day for their bowlers. Now, RR need 287 runs to win this exciting clash.
SRH got off to a flying start in the powerplay, scoring 94 runs in the first 6 overs while losing just 1 wicket. Abhishek Sharma kicked things off with a quick 24 off 11 balls, hitting 5 fours. However, Maheesh Theekshana got him out in the 4th over, caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal. Then, Travis Head took charge, smashing 67 off 31 balls with 9 fours and 3 sixes. He reached his fifty in just 21 balls, showing how dangerous he can be. But Tushar Deshpande ended his knock in the 10th over, with Shimron Hetmyer taking the catch.
After Head’s exit, Ishan Kishan stepped up in a big way. Coming in at No. 3, he played an unforgettable innings, scoring an unbeaten 106 off 47 balls. Kishan hit 11 fours and 6 sixes, finishing with a strike rate of 225.53. He reached his fifty in just 25 balls and kept going strong. Later, he smashed his maiden IPL century in 45 balls, a moment that lit up the stadium. Fans cheered loudly as Kishan raised his bat, and SRH co-owner Kavya Maran smiled brightly in the stands. His knock was the backbone of SRH’s huge total, and he deserves all the praise for his brilliant hitting.
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣 #TATAIPL 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 🧡
A special first for Ishan Kishan as he brought up his 💯 off just 45 balls 🔥
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— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 23, 2025
While Kishan led the charge, others chipped in too. Nitish Kumar Reddy scored a quick 30 off 15 balls, including 4 fours and 1 six. He and Kishan added 72 runs for the third wicket, pushing SRH past 200 in the 14th over. Theekshana got Reddy out, with Jaiswal taking another catch. Next, Heinrich Klaasen joined Kishan and blasted 34 off 14 balls, hitting 5 fours and 1 six. Their 56-run stand in just 22 balls took SRH to 258 before Sandeep Sharma dismissed Klaasen in the 19th over, caught by Riyan Parag.
In the last few overs, SRH kept the runs coming. Aniket Verma smashed a six but fell for 7 off 3 balls, caught by Jofra Archer off Deshpande. Abhinav Manohar went for a duck on the next ball, also caught by Parag off Deshpande. Despite losing 3 wickets for 21 runs in the final 5 overs, Kishan stayed unbeaten and guided SRH to 286 for 6. Captain Pat Cummins finished not out on 0, happy to watch Kishan take the spotlight.
RR’s bowlers had a tough day. Tushar Deshpande was the best of the lot, taking 3 wickets for 44 runs in 4 overs. Theekshana picked up 2 wickets but gave away 52 runs. Sandeep Sharma got 1 wicket for 51 runs. However, Jofra Archer had a rough outing, leaking 76 runs in 4 overs without a wicket. Fazalhaq Farooqi also went for 49 runs in 3 overs, while Nitish Rana bowled 1 over for 9 runs. SRH’s batsmen hit 34 fours and 12 sixes, showing how hard it was for RR to stop them.
After the innings break, RR face a huge task. They need 287 runs to win, and the win probability heavily favors SRH. RR’s batsmen, like Jaiswal, Parag, and Hetmyer, will need to fire big to chase this down. For SRH, Kishan’s century has set the tone, and their bowlers – like Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel, and Pat Cummins – will aim to defend this total. This match is already shaping up to be a thriller, and all eyes are now on RR’s reply.
