How has Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) gone wrong, the team that many had picked as being the ones to lift the cup in IPL 2025? They looked just a few weeks ago like one of the strongest units in the tournament after their explosive 286-run start. However, now they are in a downward spiral, having lost four in a row and imploding a little bit near the bottom of the points table. They have gone from bearing the confidence that once defined their game to a desperate need of something to turn their fortunes around, as Punjab Kings (PBKS) take to the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Their top order, which looked a terror on paper, has been woefully out of form. Abhishek Sharma was the leading six-hitter of the previous edition. However, his opening strikes failed to clear the ropes, while Travis Head, too, has failed to complete the conversion from the start. It has been an awful run since he scored an opening match century that as a result, has forced Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy to help Ishan Kishan anchor innings prematurely. The result? Its batting unit was once supposed to be made lacy and explosive but now looks unsettled and disconnected.
Punjab Kings are in a buoyant mood that Hyderabad brings along with itself. However, PBKS have bounced back strongly from a loss against Rajasthan Royals led by Shreyas Iyer. Prabhsimran Singh, Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh have all come good with the bat, and Priyansh Arya’s thunderous century against Chennai Super Kings initiated their resurgence. They have the pace shooter repertoire in Arshdeep Singh, Marco Jansen and Lockie Ferguson to put SRH’s brittle top order to the test.
The question, moreover, is if SRH can regain their spark. Their batters are slumped so far, it’s unlikely the playoff dream will come good unless their bowling shows flashes of promise. This won’t be another game for SRH; it’s a must-win.
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