Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2023 Recap

Indian Premier LeagueResult

Sunrisers Hyderabad

131/8

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad · Sunday, 2 April 2023

Rajasthan Royals won by 72 runsPlayer of the match: JC Buttler

Match preview

Rajasthan Royals cruise to 72-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad

Match overview

Rajasthan Royals beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 72 runs at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on 2 April 2023. Batting first after SRH won the toss and chose to field, Rajasthan posted 203/5 from their 20 overs. Sunrisers never came close in reply, losing wickets steadily through the middle phase and finishing on 131/8. Jos Buttler was named Player of the Match for his role in establishing the platform at the top of the order.

The match was largely settled in the first six overs. Rajasthan's powerplay yielded 85 runs for just 1 wicket, comfortably clear of this venue's average of 43 powerplay runs across 104 matches. SRH's reply opened with 30 runs and 2 wickets in the same phase, leaving them 55 runs adrift before the seventh over had been bowled. From there, five more wickets fell in the middle overs for 55 runs and the contest was over in practical terms long before the death.

Sunrisers did show some resistance late on, picking up 46 runs in the death overs for just 1 wicket, but with the required rate long since out of reach, those runs amounted to little more than a respectable final scoreline.

Venue and conditions

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad is one of the more batter-friendly venues on the IPL circuit, though the numbers are more nuanced than that reputation suggests. The average first-innings score across 104 matches is 192, and the average second-innings score is 179. Chasers succeed here 54 per cent of the time, which explains why teams winning the toss choose to field on 49 per cent of occasions.

The powerplay phase is decisive at this ground. The average powerplay score of 43 means any side posting significantly more in the opening six overs gains a structural advantage. Rajasthan's 85 in the powerplay was roughly double the norm and put the ground's general balance firmly out of play. The death-overs average is 40 runs, and both sides broadly tracked near or above that figure in the back end of their respective innings.

Pitch conditions in early April in Hyderabad typically assist stroke play early, with any dew in the second innings potentially aiding the batting side through reduced grip for spinners. Whether dew was a factor in SRH's collapse is unclear, but the powerplay wicket count in their chase suggests the ball moved or gripped enough for Rajasthan's bowlers to cause early damage.

How to watch

IPL matches are broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports Cricket. Existing Sky subscribers can stream via Sky Go, while fans without a full subscription can access Sky Sports through a NOW TV day or month pass. Coverage typically begins well ahead of the first ball, with pre-match analysis and commentary teams in place.

For this fixture, the start time in India was evening, which places the match in the late afternoon or early evening UK window depending on daylight saving. UK viewers should check Sky Sports schedules for listed kick-off times, as they are displayed in local time.

Recent form

Rajasthan Royals came into this fixture with a mixed run of results from the 2022 IPL season. Their last five results included two wins against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings, plus victories over Lucknow Super Giants, balanced against defeats to Gujarat Titans in two separate meetings. Three wins from five suggested a side capable of performing at the top level but not consistently dominant.

Sunrisers Hyderabad's recent form from the same period made for harder reading. Four defeats in five matches across the 2022 season, with losses to Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Delhi Capitals, pointed to a side struggling for consistency across their lineup. Their sole win in that stretch came against Mumbai Indians. That background context made the size of this defeat less surprising, even on their home ground.

Talking points

What to look out for

5 angles

Headline angle

Rajasthan's powerplay put the game beyond SRH

Rajasthan Royals smashed 85 runs for just 1 wicket in the first six overs, more than double the venue's average powerplay score of 43. That platform made their eventual total of 203/5 look almost inevitable. Sunrisers never had enough runway to match it.

Angle 02

SRH's chase collapsed in the middle overs

Sunrisers Hyderabad lost 5 wickets for 55 runs between overs 7 and 15, effectively ending the chase before the death. They managed only 30 runs from the powerplay at the cost of 2 wickets, leaving the middle order with an impossible equation.

Angle 03

JC Buttler named Player of the Match

Jos Buttler took the Player of the Match award, providing the upper-order thrust that set up Rajasthan's 203/5. His contribution at the top of the innings was central to the large first-innings total at a ground where the average first-innings score across 104 matches is 192.

Angle 04

Toss had limited impact on outcome

Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and chose to field, a decision aligned with the venue's broad tendencies: 54 per cent of chases at this ground succeed across 104 matches. RR's total proved too steep for that trend to apply.

Angle 05

Head-to-head still favours SRH overall

Despite this defeat, Sunrisers Hyderabad lead the all-time rivalry 13 wins to 9 across 22 meetings. Rajasthan's 72-run margin was one of their more convincing results in the series.

Context

Key insights

Historical · Not official

Venue par

209

Avg 1st innings score at National Stadium

74 matches · 2004–2023

Chase success

58%

Chases completed successfully at National Stadium

74 matches · 2004–2023

Head to head

9 — 13

Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 22 meetings

2013–2026

Powerplay

45/1.1

Average runs/wickets in overs 1–6 at National Stadium

Rajasthan Royals form

49%

Overall win rate — 240 matches 2007–2026

Recent: W · W · W · W · L

Historical aggregates derived from Cricsheet (cricsheet.org) under ODC-BY licence. 2001/02–2026 IPL seasons. For editorial context only — not official live match data, not a forecast, and not betting advice. Projections and comparisons above are frozen from the live state and may not match final statistics.

The rivalry

Who could decide it

These two sides have met 22 times in total, with Sunrisers Hyderabad holding the advantage at 13 wins to Rajasthan Royals' 9. Heading into this fixture, SRH had won four of the previous five encounters. Rajasthan's victory here was their largest margin in recent meetings between the sides.

Recent meetings

Last 5

2026: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 57 runs at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
2025: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 44 runs at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
2024: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 36 runs at Chepauk
2024: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 1 run at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
2023: Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 4 wickets at Sawai Mansingh Stadium

Key player · Rajasthan Royals

JC Buttler

Buttler was named Player of the Match after anchoring Rajasthan's innings at the top of the order. His ability to score freely in the powerplay was central to RR's 85-run opening six overs.

Rajasthan Royals

AS Joseph

Alzarri Joseph has demonstrated the capacity to take wickets in clusters in T20 cricket, with a best IPL return of 6/12 from 3.7 overs. In a match where SRH's middle order crumbled for 5 wickets in the middle phase, his threat was clearly relevant.

Career stats →

Rajasthan Royals

R Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin's ability to contain and take wickets in the middle overs suits a venue where sides regularly lose wickets in the 7-15 over range. His returns across formats back his reputation as a match-shaping spinner.

Career stats →

Sunrisers Hyderabad

UT Yadav

Umesh Yadav brings genuine pace and can trouble any top order. In a match where Sunrisers needed early wickets to stay in contention, his death-overs threat was also a factor to consider.

Career stats →

Rajasthan Royals

RA Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja's all-round capability adds balance to Rajasthan's side. His ability to take wickets and contribute runs lower down the order is an asset in any T20 side, and his best figures of 6/66 in Test cricket underscore his bowling credentials.

Career stats →

Angles to watch

Analytical angles worth tracking

Observations from the venue data, recent form and historical trends. Editorial context, not betting advice.

Top batter markets may favour openers at this venue, given the average powerplay score of 43 runs. Any side posting significantly above that in the first six overs tends to generate individual scoring milestones at the top of the order.
First-innings total markets at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium carry context from the 192-run average across 104 matches; totals significantly above that figure narrow the margin for chasers considerably.
Middle-overs wicket markets may be of interest given that SRH lost 5 wickets between overs 7 and 15 in this match, consistent with the risk profile of chasing sides at this ground.
The 54 per cent chase success rate at this venue suggests outright result markets are relatively open when sides post near or below the first-innings average; totals above 200 materially shift that balance.

For editorial context only. Not a forecast and not betting advice. 18+ only, please gamble responsibly.

Questions

Frequently asked

Rajasthan Royals won the match by 72 runs. They posted 203/5 batting first and bowled Sunrisers Hyderabad out for 131/8 in their reply at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

JC Buttler. Jos Buttler of Rajasthan Royals. Was named Player of the Match. His contribution at the top of the order helped set up the large first-innings total.

Across 22 IPL meetings, Sunrisers Hyderabad lead the series 13 wins to 9. SRH had won four of the five most recent encounters before this match.

Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and elected to field. While the venue's chase success rate of 54 per cent across 104 matches makes fielding first a reasonable call, Rajasthan's total of 203/5 proved well beyond SRH's reach.

IPL matches are broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket. Subscribers can also stream via Sky Go or access the channel without a full Sky subscription through NOW TV.

Across 104 matches at the ground, the average first-innings score is 192. Rajasthan Royals' 203/5 in this fixture came in above that mark, which contributed to the size of the winning margin.

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