First Malayali get-together in IPL 2025: It’s Sanju vs Sachin; Who will be the better impact sub?
Mail This Article
Malayali cricket fans were treated to a heartwarming get-together at Sunrisers Hyderabad's Uppal stadium on the eve of their Indian Premier League (IPL) season opener against Rajasthan Royals.
Kerala stars Sanju Samson and Sachin Baby were spotted exchanging pleasantries. Sanju's Royals will face Sachin's Sunrisers in the second match of IPL 2025, which will begin at 3.30 pm on March 23.
The Sunrisers put out a memorable short video and a collage featuring Sanju and Sachin during their teenage years, playing for Kerala. Sachin also chatted with the Royals' head coach, Rahul Dravid, who was in a wheelchair after fracturing his leg.
Sanju, who recently recovered from a fracture on his right index finger, won't be captaining the Royals for the first three matches of the IPL season. He is expected to be an impact sub if the Royals are chasing, and the same is likely to be the case for Sachin if the Sunrisers were batting second. All-rounder Riyan Parag will captain the Royals until Sanju gains full fitness.
Wicketkeeper batter Sanju has been associated with the Royals since 2013 and has been captaining them since 2021. Left-hand batter Sachin joined the Hyderabad franchise this season after being picked from the IPL auction.
Sanju and Sachin are two of the finest batters Kerala has produced. While Sanju missed most of the recently concluded domestic season, mostly due to his commitments to the national team, Sachin led Kerala to a historic maiden final in the Ranji Trophy, where the southern state finished runners-up to Vidarbha.
Sunrisers vs Royals
Sunrisers will be the favourites going into the second match of the season. Their explosive batting line-up comprising Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen is arguably the best in the league. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy adds more muscle to the hosts' game.
Captain Pat Cummins has a brilliant pace partner in Mohammed Shami, while Australian spinner Adam Zampa won't be an easy one to score against.
But Sanju's Royals are not to be taken lightly. Even though they lost the swashbuckling English opener Jos Buttler, the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Rana and Shimron Hetmyer make the Royals a formidable batting unit. The pace of fit-again Jofra Archer and Wanindu Hasaranga's magical spin makes the battle in Hyderabad an exciting one.