Sunrisers Hyderabad: From Dominance to Struggles in IPL 2025

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) showcased their batting prowess during IPL 2025, starting and ending the season with explosive performances. They scored an impressive 286 runs in their opening match against Rajasthan Royals and followed that up with scores of 231 and 278 in their last two games against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders, respectively. However, despite these high scores, SRH finished sixth on the points table, largely due to a lack of consistency throughout the season.

Despite their explosive start, SRH struggled to maintain momentum, suffering a disappointing four-match losing streak against Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Gujarat Titans. Although they managed a win against Punjab Kings, it did little to improve their standing. Head coach Daniel Vettori noted that opposing teams quickly adapted to SRH’s aggressive batting style, which contributed to their downfall. The team’s openers, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, who were once the backbone of their batting in IPL 2024, experienced a marked decline in form.

The batting lineup, which thrived on aggressive tactics in the previous season, faced challenges as conditions and bowling strategies changed. Vettori remarked on the difficulties batters encountered, indicating that the current season lacked the batting-friendly pitches seen in IPL 2024. This inconsistency was evident as Head and Sharma’s collective performance dropped significantly compared to their previous season, with fewer runs and sixes.

The absence of a stable all-rounder, like Shahbaz Ahmed, further weakened SRH’s batting unit, particularly given Nitish Reddy’s underwhelming performance throughout the season. While Heinrich Klaasen emerged as the team’s top run-scorer with 487 runs, his contributions were sporadic. Other key players also struggled for form, with Ishan Kishan starting strong but finishing with just 354 runs. The overall lack of depth in the squad became increasingly apparent as the season progressed.

On the bowling front, Pat Cummins and Harshal Patel led the team with 16 wickets each, but the absence of left-arm pacer T Natarajan, who had a standout performance in the previous season, was felt keenly. Mohammad Shami’s disappointing return of just six wickets added to SRH’s woes. The team’s inability to find a suitable spinner also raised questions about their strategic approach. Cummins expressed frustration at the team’s failure to perform up to their potential, emphasizing the need for improvement in the upcoming seasons.

Observer Voice is the one stop site for National, International news, Sports, Editor’s Choice, Art/culture contents, Quotes and much more. We also cover historical contents. Historical contents includes World History, Indian History, and what happened today. The website also covers Entertainment across the India and World.

Follow Us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, & LinkedIn