Ishan Kishan smashed an unbeaten 106 off 47 deliveries as Sunrisers Hyderabad clinched a 44-run victory over Rajasthan Royals in their opening match of the 2025 Indian Premier League on Sunday.
Kishan’s explosive innings, featuring 11 fours and six sixes, marked his maiden IPL century on debut for his new team, which recorded its second-highest total in tournament history.
Travis Head contributed 67 off 31 balls, as Hyderabad carried forward its 2024 momentum to post a formidable 286-6 in 20 overs.
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The team’s previous highest total was 287-3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru last season, the highest-ever IPL score.
In the later match, Chennai Super Kings triumphed over Mumbai Indians by four wickets with five balls to spare in a high-stakes showdown.
Afghanistan’s left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad returned exceptional figures of 4-18 in four overs, helping Chennai restrict Mumbai to 155-9 after opting to bowl first. Tilak Varma top-scored with 31 off 25 balls.
Rachin Ravindra’s unbeaten 65 off 45 balls, coupled with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s rapid 53 off 26, powered Chennai to 158-6 in 19.1 overs.
Rajasthan’s Brave Chase Falls Short at 242-6
Despite putting up a strong fight, Rajasthan Royals could only manage 242-6 in response to Hyderabad’s massive target. Dhruv Jurel led the charge with 70 off 35 balls, while Sanju Samson struck 66 off 37.
Sent in to bat first, Hyderabad got off to a flying start with Head and Abhishek Sharma (24) putting together a blistering 45-run stand in just 19 balls.
Kishan shifted gears, reaching his half-century in just 25 balls. Having been acquired at the season’s auction, he proved to be an instant success, smashing his way to a dominant hundred on his first outing for Hyderabad.
He shared an 85-run stand off 39 balls with Head, who also struck nine fours and three sixes before falling just before the halfway mark.
Kishan, alongside Hyderabad, kept the scoring rate high. He found able support in Nitish Reddy (30 off 15) and Heinrich Klaasen (34 off 14).
His second fifty came off just 22 deliveries, propelling Hyderabad to a commanding total in their opening game.
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England fast bowler Jofra Archer endured a torrid spell, conceding 76 runs in his four overs—the most expensive figures in IPL history.
Rajasthan’s chase got off to a shaky start, with Yashasvi Jaiswal departing for just one and Riyan Parag falling for four—both in the second over. Nitish Rana followed soon after, dismissed for 11, leaving Rajasthan at 50-3.
Samson, introduced as an impact substitute, made an instant impression. He raced to 50 in 26 balls and put together a 111-run partnership off 60 deliveries with Jurel, keeping Rajasthan in the contest on a batting-friendly surface.
Jurel reached his half-century off 28 balls, striking six sixes and five fours to anchor the chase. However, Adam Zampa removed him in the 15th over, while Samson fell in the previous over.
With the required rate soaring, Rajasthan struggled to pull off the mammoth chase despite late cameos from Shimron Hetmyer (42 off 23) and Shubham Dubey (34* off 11).
Mumbai Struggles Against Spin in Chennai
Ahmad starred with the ball after left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed claimed 3-29, including the prized wicket of Rohit Sharma for a four-ball duck.
On a sluggish Chepauk pitch, Mumbai failed to gain momentum in their season opener. They also missed the services of captain Hardik Pandya, who was serving a slow over-rate suspension from last season.
Stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav managed 29 off 26 before falling to Ahmad, who was assisted by a sharp stumping from Indian legend MS Dhoni, making his IPL return for Chennai at 43.
Mumbai slumped to 96-6 in 13 overs and further to 118-7 in 16.1 overs.
Deepak Chahar, making his Mumbai debut against his former team, chipped in with an unbeaten 28 off 15 balls, including two sixes, to push the total beyond 150.
Chasing 156, Chennai was boosted by a 67-run second-wicket partnership off just 37 deliveries between Gaikwad and Ravindra.
Gaikwad’s 50 came in just 22 balls, featuring three sixes and six fours. Mumbai fought back through 24-year-old left-arm wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur (3-32).
Chennai kept losing wickets to Puthur and Will Jacks, but Ravindra ensured his side got across the line in the final over. Dhoni remained unbeaten on 0 off two deliveries.