IPL 2025: Would SRH revise its approach after a string of defeats?

Sunrisers Hyderabad were touted to be the team to look out for in IPL 2025, for the firepower they hold in the batting order, the same that propelled the team into the IPL 2024 final. However, five matches into the season, and with another explosive addition in their batting order in Ishan Kishan, SRH is nowhere close to their anticipated stop. Four losses in five matches, and the IPL 2024 runners-up have sunk to the lowest spot in the points table. Four consecutive defeats in a row, amid all the disappointments, carry significant lessons for a team. And it seems like the team will finally look to put their head into assessing the conditions before launching into their aggressive gameplay, the one that has not brought them any laurels in the season so far.

"Batters need to respect the conditions," says SRH coach Daniel Vettori

Sunrisers kicked off their IPL 2025 campaign in the same style that was anticipated out of the group. Ishan Kishan seemed like the missing piece of their puzzle, as the No. 3 batter stamped his SRH debut with an explosive century. Fueled by his century, Hyderabad posted a 283-run total in the SRH vs RR campaign opener. Clearly a steep hill to chase, RR fumbled as SRH claimed the victory by 44 runs. However, that was the last scene of SRH batters going big. Ever since, they have only tried but failed. While Travis Head has tried, the opener, along with his partner Abhishek Sharma, has unfortunately remained ineffective, trying to go off from the very first ball but falling prey to the conditions.

Beyond the century, Ishan Kishan has managed just 21 runs across four matches now. Something is clearly not working for the group, going down against the likes of LSG, DC, RCB, and most recently Gujarat Titans. Mohammed Siraj ran a riot in Hyderabad, his home turf, to bundle SRH's total to just 153. Not a tough chase, Shubman Gill remained unbeaten to lead his team to a 7-wicket victory at Hyderabad’s backyard in the SRH vs GT match.

Following the match, Daniel Vettori explained that none of the departments have worked well for them so far. The statement stands true, with none of their bowlers coming up with a match-saving spell. However, beyond the team's collective shortcomings, the coach accepted that the batters need to play the conditions and respect them instead of sticking to their motive of hitting hard and right from the get-go.

“I think we know the style is going to work, but we have to respect conditions, and we have to assess really well, and that’s probably something we haven’t done. Also, [we] have to respect how well other teams are bowling, putting a lot of planning into our top three, and they haven’t been able to execute it at times,” Vettori said in the post-match press conference.

“We just haven’t been near our best in the last four games. I think that’s all three disciplines. I think the barometer of most teams is how their fielding’s going, and we’ve been pretty poor in the field. So those will be the work-ons between now and the Punjab game. And we know that if we can get on a roll, then we’re still a very good team. We’re just not performing the way that we should be,” he added.