What went wrong for SRH in IPL 2025?
What's the story
The runners-up of the Indian Premier League 2024, Sunrisers Hyderabad, have had a disappointing season in IPL 2025.
Despite a strong start with an impressive win, the team has seen a significant decline.
Key players such as Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma have not performed as expected, and the bowling department, particularly spin, has struggled to make an impact.
Having won just three of their 11 games, SRH are already out of the playoff race.
Here we decode their downfall.
#1
SRH's aggressive strategy has hurt them
The season started on a high note for SRH as they scored a mammoth 286/6 against Rajasthan Royals.
The team's fearless approach and desire to cross the 300-run mark were vocalized by batter Travis Head and captain Pat Cummins.
However, despite beginning on a high, the team failed to keep up the pace.
This fearless approach has hurt Pat Cummins's army as their plan to bat aggressively regardless of the conditions has often led to collapses.
#2
Underperforming opening pair
The explosive opening pair of Head and Abhishek Sharma, which drove SRH's IPL 2024 success, hasn't clicked this season.
Both batters have been averaging under 32 this season as their partnership average is just 36.
They have recorded just a couple of 50-plus stands as a pair.
Though the 'Travi-shek' pair has accumulated runs at a rate of over 10 runs per over, their inconsistency has cost the team.
#3
Klaasen only notable performer in middle order
As far as SRH's middle order is concerned, Heinrich Klaasen has been the only shining light (311 runs at 34.55).
Though Ishan Kishan made a ton in SRH's opener, he could breach the 20-run mark only once in his next nine innings.
While Nitish Kumar Reddy averages 24.71 this season, the uncapped Aniket Verma struggled with consistency despite showing promise.
#3
Bowling department struggles and lack of quality spinner
The fast-bowling bowling department has also been a cause for concern with skipper Cummins failing to deliver.
Mohammed Shami's form hasn't helped them either. Though Harshal Patel has been among wickets, he has leaked runs.
As per ESPNcricinfo, Jaydev Unadkat (5 wickets at an economy of 6.94) is the only SRH bowler to take five-plus wickets at a sub-nine economy rate.
The absence of a quality spinner has compounded these issues, especially after Adam Zampa was sidelined due to injury.