The Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals timeline is a tale of two teams with great purpose, team line-up, and fierce rivalry. On the one side, it is the Rajasthan Royals (RR), who are the inaugural IPL champions, focusing on great game, whereas on the other side, it is the “Orange Army’ and one-time IPL winner Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), which focuses on great planning. With smart tactics and explosive batting, and mindblowing bowling, both teams have managed to win some important matches, giving their fanbases some surprising results and moments to cherish forever.
The IPL match between these two teams has always been interesting to watch for their healthy competition and brilliant individual performances. Moreover, the fanbase of both teams has always shown their trust and support for their respective teams in every venue. You must be curious to know more about this exciting rivalry. So, without any further a due, let us delve into the Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals timeline.
Shine of Rajasthan Royals: 2013 – 2017
Sunrisers Hyderabad entered the IPL in 2013, a few years after Rajasthan Royals had already claimed the title of the IPL’s inaugural winners in 2008, so they got a bit ahead of the game and built a reputation for their tactics (both unorthodox and otherwise) and for finding unheralded (less than famous) talent in hidden gems.
In SRH’s very first match against RR in 2013, RR won with little trouble. They typically found themselves with strong all-rounders and crafty captains who knew how to maximise the benefit from their players. SRH were already being recognised for their great bowlers and have been champion fast bowlers, including Dale Steyn and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. They loved defending low scores!
In these early years, matches were often framed as the batting flair from RR against the rigidity of the SRH bowling attack. Sometimes RR chased down targets and the odd score chased down, and at other times SRH’s bowlers would crush the life from the opposition.
Key moments in this period:
- 2013 eliminator: RR won against SRH on the latter’s home ground in the knockout stage. The performance showcased the Rajasthan Royals’ maturity and strengths in big games.
- Close contests: In every match between the two franchises, you saw closely competitive game results, showing the competitiveness between the two teams despite having differing strengths.
SRH’s Bowling Power: 2016 – 2018
For Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), that was a special moment; they lifted their first and only IPL title in 2016, primarily due to their supreme bowling attack and David Warner’s batting. They established themselves as the “bowling powerhouse” of the IPL.
When SRH was facing the Rajasthan Royals during this time, SRH primarily dominated. Their bowlers made it very difficult for the RR batsmen to get easy runs – Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan (who was a super spinner at the time), and Siddharth Kaul were usually pretty tough challenges to RR batsmen. SRH almost always wanted to bowl first, restrict to a low total, then their batting team was powerful enough to chase low totals.
Even with strong rosters, RR’s batting struggled to crack SRH’s strong bowling. These games turned into more tactical middle-scoring encounters, intelligent spells of balling, and overall cricketing strategy.
Key moments in this period:
- SRH’s 2016 Title: While this particular win was not against Rajasthan Royals, the strength on which the Sunrisers Hyderabad of that time was built, due to which they also defeated RR, became the reason for them lifting their maiden and only IPL title.
- SRH bowling masterclasses: There were many matches during this period that saw SRH’s bowlers go completely wild against RR’s batsmen.
Years Of Ups & Downs 2019 – 2022
This timeframe, which had followed SRH’s strong bowling years, was a period of highs and lows for both teams. As the SRH vs RR rivalry grew, it became more competitive and consistent, making the outcomes harder to predict.
On the one hand, Rajasthan Royals figured out their strength by bringing some new talents to the team, including Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler, who became important players for the team. Sanju Samson is also the current captain of RR. They, including some other players, became the reason for RR’s crucial wins during this period.
On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad also evolved as a team. Although they struggled with their batting line-up, they were a super strong team based on their bowling line-up. Hence, defending and chasing became slightly tough for them during this period, giving their fans thrill and drama in every match.
Key moments in this period:
- Jos Buttler’s Century in IPL 2021: This match is still remembered for Buttler’s explosive century, scoring a huge 124 runs. This shows how dangerous a batsman he is. With his powerful batting, he made RR win by a huge margin.
- Close finishes: During this period, many matches ended in a close call. Teams either needed to score a few runs or needed to take a few wickets in the final overs.. Also, nobody can forget Rahul Tewatia’s memorable finish against SRH in 2020.
The Present Era: 2023 – Present
The present Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals Timeline has been marked by some huge scores on board and good cricket. During these years, auctions came in, which led to the entry of many new players in both teams, and a strong batting line-up was developed. These players were capable of scoring high runs and breaking many records.
Especially in 2024 and 2025, Sunrisers Hyderabad transformed into an aggressive batting team, and there was no stopping their batters, which included Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head. These players played aggressively from the very first ball, hitting boundaries every now and then. These players truly set a whole new record in these years.
On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals, with Sanju Samson as the captain, evolved very beautifully as a team. He led from the front, and Jos Buttler supported him with his explosive batting techniques. For them, it was more about who scored more runs and performed better under pressure, giving their fans entertainment and a gem of a game.
Key moments in this period:
- IPL 2024 Eliminator: This match was important for SRH, as they had to win this match to qualify for the finals. Eventually, SRH defended a good total and secured a comfortable win by 36 runs. This led SRH to the finals.
- IPL 2024 League Stage Thriller: In a thrilling league stage match, SRH won a match against RR Hyderabad in a dramatic finish by just 1 run. Safe to say, the intense competition was visible throughout the game.
- IPL 2025 Opener: This was the first match between the two teams in 2025, where SRH scored a huge 286 runs, the second highest in IPL History. Ishan Kishan made his IPL century in his debut match for SRH. RR had a tough battle with such a huge chase, but they managed to secure 242 runs, eventually losing.
- RR’s Significant Victory in 2023: Earlier in 2023, RR showcased their powerful ability by defeating SRH by a huge margin of 72 runs in Hyderabad.
Head To Head Records
Both teams have competed against each other 21 times. Of those 21 meetings, Sunrisers Hyderabad has won 12 times while Rajasthan Royals has won 9 times, indicating total dominance by SRH. Additionally, there have been no no-results, ties, or draws.
| Total Matches | 21 |
| SRH Won | 12 |
| RR Won | 9 |
| SRH Lost | 9 |
| RR Lost | 12 |
| No Results | 0 |
| Tie | 0 |
| Draw | 0 |
Conclusion
The timeline of Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals is not just about who has won and lost, but, differing styles, strengths, and techniques that keep changing and evolving. The Rajasthan Royals are usually labelled as a team of surprises and individual talents. In contrast, Sunrisers Hyderabad were earlier labelled a disciplined team with great bowling when they first started as an official franchise. In recent times, both teams have shown the power of scoring, defending, and chasing big runs.
Whenever there is a match between SRH and RR, you can always expect a good contest. They both have huge fan bases, with exciting histories of finishes, chases, and defenses. However, as the IPL continues, the Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals timeline is expected to see some more records and individual performances. Well, how this rivalry unfolds, we have to wait for the next season. Till then, stay tuned.
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