RR vs SRH preview: Pat Cummins returns, Royals look to break Hyderabad jinx; Check head-to-head, pitch report, more

Rajasthan Royals host Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday, 25 April, at 7:30 PM IST in Match 36 of IPL 2026. The Royals will reclaim the top spot on the points table if they win. A win here will likely take Hyderabad to the 3rd position.

RR have won 5 out of their 7 matches so far. It is one of the most consistent squads in the tournament so far. With a Net Run Rate of +0.790, it’s ranked 3rd at the moment.

SRH have won 4 out of their 7 matches. They’re in the 4th position with an NRR of +0.820.

Recent form strongly favours Sunrisers Hyderabad. SRH have won their last 5 consecutive encounters against RR. This includes a 57-run victory earlier in the 2026 season. At Jaipur's Sawai Mansingh Stadium, both teams have won 2 matches each.

Sanju Samson leads all run-scorers in this rivalry with 764 runs. Jos Buttler holds the highest individual score of 124, made in 2021. Yuzvendra Chahal tops the wicket charts with 19 wickets for RR. Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads SRH's bowling with 15 wickets in this fixture. However, none of these players plays for RR or SRH now. Samson is in CSK, Buttler in GT. Chahal has moved to PBKS while Kumar plays for RCB.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins, Harsh Dubey, Praful Hinge, Eshan Malinga, Liam Livingstone (Impact Player)

SRH have also signed South African pacer Gerald Coetzee as a replacement. He comes in for the injured David Payne for the rest of the season.

RR enter this match with no major injury concerns. This is their first home game of the 2026 campaign at Jaipur.

Heinrich Klaasen has smashed 320 runs and has effectively dominated spin bowling. Ishan Kishan scored 91 runs in the earlier fixture against RR. Eshan Malinga leads SRH's bowling with 12 wickets in 7 games.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been their breakout star this season. The 14-year-old has scored 254 runs at a strike rate of 220.87. He has already hit two 15-ball fifties, among the fastest in IPL history.

Yashasvi Jaiswal has contributed 245 runs this season, including 2 fifties. Together with Vaibhav, they make for a dangerous opening pair.

Jofra Archer recently became RR's all-time leading wicket-taker with 68 scalps. He has taken 11 wickets in 7 matches this season. Ravi Bishnoi also has 11 wickets, including a career-best 4/41.

The historical average first-innings score at this ground is around 166. However, recent seasons have seen that number climb to 195-198. Both batting lineups are in strong form, making 200 a real possibility tonight.

The boundaries here are relatively large compared to many IPL venues. Straight boundaries measure around 75 metres and square boundaries around 72 metres. This rewards batters who rely on timing and placement over brute power.

Pacers can expect some movement with the new ball early on. Spinners should find grip and assistance during the middle overs.

However, dew is expected to set in during the second innings. This will make it harder for bowlers to grip the ball. Teams winning the toss have historically preferred to bowl first here.

In 64 IPL matches at this ground, 41 have been won batting second. That is 64% of all results favouring the chasing team. The toss will therefore be a significant factor tonight.

The weather will be hot and dry with hazy conditions. At the 7:30 PM start, temperatures will be around 34°C. There is zero chance of rain during the first half of the match.

Will Rajasthan be able to reclaim the top spot on the points table? Can Hyderabad outplay the Royals in Jaipur? We’ll know in a few hours.