Why Is Wanindu Hasaranga Missing Today’s IPL 2025 Clash Against SRH?

The second match of IPL 2025 witnessed Rajasthan Royals (RR) facing off against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. In a key decision at the toss, Rajasthan Royals’ interim captain Riyan Parag won the toss and elected to bowl first. However, the big news ahead of the match was the absence of star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga from the Royals’ playing XI.

Rajasthan Royals Opt to Bowl First in Hyderabad

Riyan Parag, leading the Royals in place of an injured Sanju Samson, cited the dryness of the pitch and the possibility of dew later in the evening as the reasons behind his decision to bowl first. “It feels great to lead such a prestigious franchise. Starting the season well is crucial, and the conditions here seem to favour bowling first,” Parag mentioned at the toss.

The Royals included key bowlers Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Sandeep Sharma in their lineup, alongside Tushar Deshpande and Nitish Rana, both making their debut for the franchise.

Why Wanindu Hasaranga Is Not Playing

Wanindu Hasaranga was left out of Rajasthan Royals‘ playing XI due to a combination of strategic team balance and overseas player limitations. With only four overseas slots available, RR prioritized Jofra Archer and Fazalhaq Farooqi for their pace attack, Shimron Hetmyer for middle-order stability, and Maheesh Theekshana for spin control. Including Hasaranga would have meant sacrificing one of these key players, disrupting the balance between their batting depth and bowling variety, especially in the absence of Sanju Samson.

Additionally, the team wanted to maintain variety in their bowling attack, opting for a mix of quality pacers and a mystery spinner rather than two overseas spinners. The Impact Player rule further allowed RR flexibility to adjust based on match situations, making it easier for them to delay Hasaranga’s inclusion depending on conditions and opposition in future games.

SRH Unveil New-Look Lineup

Pat Cummins, captaining SRH, looked upbeat about batting first. “It’s nice to be back with the same core group. We’ve added exciting players like Ishan Kishan and Abhinav Manohar, and we’re ready to play freely,” Cummins remarked.

SRH fielded multiple new faces, including Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel, Simarjeet Singh, and youngsters Aniket Verma and Abhinav Manohar, all featuring in their first game for Hyderabad.

Playing XIs

Rajasthan Royals Playing XI:

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag (C), Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Shubham Dubey, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma.

Impact Player: Akash Madhwal/Kumar Kartikeya.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Playing XI:

Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Abhinav Manohar, Wiaan Mulder/Kamindu Mendis, Pat Cummins (C), Harshal Patel, Rahul Chahar, Mohammed Shami.

Impact Player: Jaydev Unadkat/Simarjeet Singh.

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