IPL 2022, SRH vs RR Highlights: Rajasthan Royals kick-off season with commanding win over Sunrisers Hyderabad

Who will be a better partner for Jos Buttler at the top? Yashasvi Jaiswal or Devdutt Padikkal. 

Aakash Chopra believes dew won't play a factor in the clash but also cancels spin to play a major role. 

"I am not expecting a lot of spin because it is just the first game. However, there may not be any dew as it is an open field in comparison to the other three venues. When you talk about Ashwin and Chahal, you talk about a lot of quality. I expect them to pick up a few wickets and be economical as well," said Chopra while sharing his views on the clash on Star Sports.

A total of five New Zealand players are present in the both sides combined, out of which, Kane Williamson and Trent Boult are surely going to be a part of the playing XI. 

Glenn Phillips, too, might get a chance to feature from the SRH camp. However, it will be interesting to see if Rajasthan field James Neesham and Daryll Mitchell in their playing XI. 

The 2021 edition saw both the sides winning one match each. While Rajasthan won the first encounter by 55 runs. SRH got their revenge in the reverse fixture, which they won by 7 wickets. 

We are less than an hour away from the much-awaited toss and here are the predicted XI from the clash:

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Kane Williamson (c), Ravikumar Samarth, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Abdul Samad, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kartik Tyagi, Umran Malik, T Natarajan

Rajasthan Royals: Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Jimmy Neesham, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal

T Natarajan earned a spot in the national unit following his impressive show with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, injuries have left the pacer far away from contention and Natarajan will surely be looking to make the most out of this opportunity. If the 30-year-old gets his yorkers right, he can definitely knock on the selectors' door for a second run with Team India.

Umran Malik grabbed the headlines, when he was roped in by the franchise as a replacement for T Natarajan in the previous season. Malik had started as a net bowler for the franchise and after impressive almost everyone with his raw pace, he will definitely get a longer run in the tournament. Ahead of the clash, Malik bowled some ferocious bouncers to Nicholas Pooran, something that can worry the Rajasthan Royals batters.

Glenn Phillips will likely kick-off the action for SRH with the bat. The team also have hard-hitting West Indian Nicholas Pooran in their ranks. Priyam Garg too will play a key role, having already spent two years with the franchise. Rahul Tripathi was one of the best performers in the Kolkata Knight Riders camp, his previous franchise, and SRH would expect him to shoulder responsibility in the middle order. 

You've got to be lying if you said that you aren't eager to watch Ashwin and Buttler operate for the same team. Come on… how can one not? Three years since that infamous run-out at the non-striker's end - Yes, it's now officially a run-out - Ashwin and Buttler are back playing in the IPL, only this time as teammates. Also, there is no spirit of cricket question involved anymore. Running a batter out for backing too much is as legit as any other form of dismissal.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a two time Purple Cap winner, but here is the deal. Off late, the veteran India seamer has struggled for form and fitness. SRH shared a video of Bhuvneshwar looking sharp while bowling in the nets. His aims were deadly and targeting impeccable. This could very well prove to be the revitaliser that Bhuvneshwar, his fans and Indian cricket is waiting for. We shall find out in some time.

Jos Buttler is six runs short of completing 2000 IPL runs and he will fancy his chances to make a mark against SRH. Why you ask? Well, because the last time, RR and SRH face each other, Buttler hammered 124, his first century in T20 cricket and broke a long stretch of low scores.

Ahead of both team's first game of the season, let's have a look at how these 2 sides have fared over the years. SRH and RR have battled each other 15 times, with one team enjoying a slender lead over the other. SRH are just a tad ahead of RR, having beaten then 8 times, and tonight, it remains to be seen whether RR will level things up or will Sunrisers increase their lead.

Sunrisers captain Kane Williamson is probably the best batter in the SRH camp. His contributions with the willow and as a leader could go a long way in determining the team's fortunes. He has so far amassed 1885 runs in the competition.   

Rajasthan have one of the most strongest bowling attack with R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal leading the spin department. The eight overs by the pair will be crucial. Apart from the duo, the franchise have also roped in Kiwi speedster Trent Boult, who has been a regular member in the T20 league. He will get the much-needed support from Team India bowlers Prasidh Krishna and Navdeep Saini. 

Rajasthan Royals also have the likes of power-hitters Shimron Hetmyer and Jimmy Neesham in their ranks. Apart from the duo, Rassie Van der Dussen can also prove to be a vital cog in their middle-order. Meanwhile, it will be a test for Riyan Parag, who will look to repay the faith the franchise have showed on him. 

Jos Buttler and Devdutt Padikkal in all likelihood will open the innings for Rajasthan Royals. Buttler has been a leading figure for the Royals franchise, while Padikkal, who had a brilliant campaign with the Royal Challengers Bangalore, will hope for a similar run with his new franchise. 

Rajasthan Royals' batting will revolve around their skipper Sanju Samson, who despite being one of the most talented batters, has failed to live up to his reputation. Every season we see the wicketkeeper-batter play one or two match-defining knocks but fails to carry forward the momentum. If Royals want to win their second IPL title, he would have to go the extra mile.

Sanju Samson takes wicketkeeping lessons from Kumar Sangakkara

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Rahul Tripathi, Abhishek Sharma, Kane Williamson(c), Nicholas Pooran(w), Aiden Markram, Abdul Samad, Washington Sundar, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Umran Malik, Marco Jansen, Ravikumar Samarth, Shreyas Gopal, Jagadeesha Suchith, Glenn Phillips, Shashank Singh, Vishnu Vinod, Priyam Garg, Kartik Tyagi, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Saurabh Dubey

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Devdutt Padikkal, Sanju Samson(w/c), Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, James Neesham, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Navdeep Saini, KC Cariappa, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Karun Nair, Rassie van der Dussen, Daryl Mitchell, Obed McCoy, Tejas Baroka, Kuldip Yadav, Anunay Singh, Kuldeep Sen, Dhruv Jurel, Shubham Garhwal

Hello and welcome to the LIVE coverage of the Indian Premier League match between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium. The toss will take place at 07:00 am. Stay tuned for the all the updates related to the match!