RR vs SRH IPL 2026 Match 36 Prediction – Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Who Will Win Today at Sawai Mansingh Stadium Jaipur

IPL 2026 Match 36 brings one of the most anticipated encounters of the season — Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad at the iconic Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The Pink City is ready to roar as two of the most aggressive batting line-ups in the league collide under the floodlights at 7:30 PM IST tonight. This is not just a regular league game; this is a statement match for both franchises who are locked in a fierce battle for play-off positioning in IPL 2026.

Rajasthan Royals come into this game riding on home advantage and the electric support of the Jaipur crowd. SMS Stadium has historically been a fortress for RR — the pink and blue army turns up in numbers and the atmosphere is always electrifying. Sanju Samson's men have some of the most explosive openers in the competition, and on a batting-friendly Jaipur surface, they will be aiming to post a big total and put the Sunrisers under pressure from the very first over.

On the other side, Sunrisers Hyderabad remain one of the most dangerous teams in IPL 2026. Pat Cummins' squad is built on firepower — from Travis Head's belligerent stroke-play at the top to Heinrich Klaasen's finishing abilities, SRH have the batting resources to chase down any total. Their bowling attack, spearheaded by Cummins himself and backed by spin options, will look to test the RR batting order on a surface that is expected to offer some assistance to pace bowlers in the powerplay.

This fixture has all the ingredients of a classic IPL thriller — two fearless batting units, quality bowling attacks, a partisan home crowd, and massive play-off implications. If you want to add extra excitement to tonight's game, get your online cricket betting ID instantly on WhatsApp and place your bet before the toss. Read on for our complete RR vs SRH Match 36 prediction, pitch report, playing 11 and expert analysis below.

Rajasthan Royals Form Analysis: RR have shown impressive resilience in IPL 2026, winning three of their last five matches. The team is at its best when Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler fire at the top of the order — on those occasions, RR have the ability to post 200+ totals. Their middle-order, led by Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer, provides the finishing muscle that can accelerate the run rate in the death overs. The Jaipur pitch suits RR's batting philosophy of aggressive stroke-play from the first ball. However, their bowling has been inconsistent — they will need Trent Boult to be at his best in the powerplay and Yuzvendra Chahal to exert control in the middle overs. At home, RR are a completely different proposition and the SMS Stadium faithful will give them an extra edge tonight.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Form Analysis: SRH come into this match in solid form, winning three of their last five games. The Travis Head factor is massive for Hyderabad — when the Australian opener is in full flow, no total is safe. Heinrich Klaasen's batting in the middle order has been exceptional in IPL 2026, and he has single-handedly won games for SRH when the top order has failed. Captain Pat Cummins brings leadership and match-winning pace with the ball, and the SRH bowling unit has shown the ability to restrict even the most dangerous batting line-ups. However, SRH's away record in 2026 has been slightly inconsistent, and the hostile Jaipur crowd could play a psychological role in this crucial contest.

The Sawai Mansingh Stadium pitch in Jaipur is one of the most batting-friendly surfaces on the IPL circuit. The red soil of Rajasthan produces a surface that is true in bounce and even in pace — batters love it here. The outfield at SMS Stadium is lightning fast, meaning that well-timed shots regularly race to the boundary. Expect the first ten overs to be a run fest, particularly in the powerplay where the fielding restrictions are in force.

As the game progresses into the middle overs, the pitch tends to slow down slightly and spinners can exploit the footmarks outside the off stump. Yuzvendra Chahal has a brilliant record at this venue for this very reason — the turn and drift he generates makes him a difficult proposition for right-handers in the 7-16 over phase. SRH will need to watch out for Chahal's wiles if they are chasing a target. Pace bowlers typically find the pitch a little easier in the powerplay when there is still some freshness in the surface, but the dew factor — which sets in heavily in Jaipur evening games — can make the ball slippery and help batters further in the second innings. Teams winning the toss at SMS Stadium have often chosen to bat first to put a big score on the board before dew makes life harder for bowling sides. A competitive total here would be anywhere between 175-190.

Great news for cricket fans — the weather in Jaipur on the evening of April 25 looks ideal for a full 40-over contest. Clear skies are expected throughout the match with no significant rain threat. Temperatures will hover around 30-32°C at the start of play, making it warm but not unbearable. The light wind conditions should not affect the ball movement significantly. Dew is expected to settle on the outfield after around the 14th-15th over of the second innings, which will make it harder for the bowling side. This dew factor is a crucial element in tonight's match and will heavily influence the toss decision.

The head-to-head record between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad gives SRH a slight historical advantage with 12 wins compared to RR's 9 across 21 IPL meetings. However, the most recent encounters tell a more nuanced story. In the past three seasons, RR have been more competitive against SRH, winning a majority of the close contests. The rivalry between these two sides has produced some of the most dramatic finishes in IPL history — from last-ball thrillers to high-scoring affairs where both batting line-ups went all guns blazing.

At Sawai Mansingh Stadium specifically, RR have a strong record — the home crowd gives them a decisive psychological advantage. SRH's best performances against RR have tended to come at their own Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad where their own fans give them similar support. Tonight, away from home in Jaipur, SRH will need to produce a special performance to overcome the passionate RR support. The Jaipur crowd has a reputation for being among the loudest in the IPL, and when players like Jaiswal or Samson get going, the stadium erupts in a way that truly lifts the team's performance. SRH have the quality to win, but history at this venue slightly favours the home side.

The toss at Sawai Mansingh Stadium tonight is a significant strategic moment. Given the dew forecast for the second half of the game and the historically batting-friendly surface, both captains will almost certainly want to bat first. The team that wins the toss and bats first will have the cleaner ball to deal with in the powerplay, a surface that is at its best in the first ten overs, and will avoid the dew-affected conditions that typically arrive in the 15th over of the second innings.

For Rajasthan Royals, if they bat first, the gameplan is straightforward — Jaiswal and Buttler will look to explode from the first ball, targeting 60+ in the powerplay. Sanju Samson at three will drive the momentum through the middle overs, and Hetmyer and Riyan Parag will look to clear the rope at will in the death. An RR total in the region of 185-195 would be par at SMS Stadium in 2026.

For Sunrisers Hyderabad batting first, the approach would be similar but more calculated — Travis Head will set the platform in the powerplay, with Abhishek Sharma offering left-right combination at the top. Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy will be trusted with the acceleration in overs 15-20. SRH's strength has been their ability to bat at a very high strike rate throughout the innings without sacrificing wickets needlessly — a trait that makes them dangerous in any batting situation.

From a bowling perspective, Trent Boult is RR's most important weapon. The New Zealand left-armer has been exceptional in the powerplay this season, using both swing and pace to trouble the best batters. If Boult can get Travis Head early in the first two or three overs, RR have a real chance of restricting SRH to a manageable total. For SRH, Mohammed Shami and Cummins form a dangerous new-ball pair who can trouble any batting line-up with their pace and movement. The team that manages their pace bowling resources best across the 20 overs will likely come out on top.

One important tactical element to watch: Riyan Parag's potential role with the ball. He bowls useful off-spin and can be used as a restrictive option in the middle overs against left-handers in the SRH batting line-up. Similarly, Shahbaz Ahmed for SRH could prove valuable in extracting some turn from the Jaipur surface in the 8-14 over phase. Both teams have more bowling versatility than may be immediately obvious, and smart captaincy in the middle overs will be as important as the big matchups in the powerplay and death.

Tonight's match has massive play-off implications. SRH are currently in fourth place on 10 points — a win would consolidate their position in the top four. RR sit fifth on 8 points and a win tonight would lift them to 10 points, drawing level with SRH and putting serious pressure on the top four. For RR, this is a must-win game if they want to keep their play-off hopes alive.

After carefully weighing all the factors — current form, venue conditions, head-to-head record, team composition and the tactical matchups — our expert team at Dev Online Book predicts Rajasthan Royals to win IPL 2026 Match 36 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur tonight.

The home advantage at SMS Stadium is a genuinely significant factor for RR. The Jaipur crowd is among the most vociferous in the IPL — the noise levels can genuinely affect the opposition's concentration at crucial moments. When Yashasvi Jaiswal hits a boundary in front of his home fans, the atmosphere is electric and it lifts the entire RR dressing room. This psychological edge is real, and it explains why RR's win percentage at SMS Stadium is considerably higher than their overall record.

The pitch at Sawai Mansingh Stadium is expected to be a batting-friendly surface, but Yuzvendra Chahal's record here is exceptional. The leg-spinner knows every inch of the Jaipur pitch — the variations he can extract, the rough that develops, and the pace at which the ball grips. He will be the difference-maker in the middle overs if SRH are chasing. His ability to dismiss Travis Head — who struggles with wrist-spin when it is well-directed — is the key factor in our prediction.

However, we cannot dismiss Sunrisers Hyderabad's chances. Travis Head is capable of single-handedly winning any game in the IPL, and if he produces one of his destructive 70-off-30 balls performances, the game is over before RR know it. Heinrich Klaasen coming in at five gives SRH a finishing option that almost no other team can match. The dew factor in the second innings is also a concern if RR bat first — the wet outfield makes it harder to grip the ball and harder to execute yorkers, giving batters a huge advantage. If SRH are chasing 175+ in dew-affected conditions, their batting firepower makes them genuine favourites.

Our prediction: RR to win the toss, bat first, and post a total of around 180-188. Jaiswal and Samson will be the key contributors with the bat. In the chase, Chahal and Boult will restrict SRH to around 165-168, giving RR a victory by approximately 15-20 runs. This is a competitive match and SRH absolutely have the batting firepower to win — but on this surface, at this ground, against this bowling attack, RR are our pick tonight. Final score prediction: RR 185/6 (20 overs), SRH 168/8 (20 overs). RR to win by 17 runs.