SWOT analysis of Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2025

After finishing at the rock-bottom in the 2023 edition in the Indian Premier League, Sunrisers Hyderabad made a remarkable comeback in the following season. They finished at second after league stage and went on to play the final against KKR. Sadly, their quest to hold second IPL title ended with an 8-wicket defeat in the summit-clash. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad will be hoping to go one better this season. They have retained their explosive opening duo, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, skipper Pat Cummins, Heinrich Klaasen and star all-rounder Nitish Reddy. Sunrisers Hyderabad are on the lips of most experts as the team to watch out for this season. They exhibited exceptional performance last season and are, once again, expected to be a top contender for the crown. With that in mind, here’s a look at a SWOT analysis for Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2025. 

SWOT analysis of Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2025

Strength: An explosive batting unit

Sunrisers Hyderabad made waves with their batting and their ability to score a truckload of runs at a fast rate, last season. Not to forget, they also got the highest score ever in an IPL game. The good news is they have retained most of their batting core. The explosive duo of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma will be back in action, and both batters are still carrying a rich vein of form. 

Sharma scored a century against England and averaged 42.5 in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Travis Head did well in the home Tests against India and got some runs in the Champions Trophy against Afghanistan. Add the big-hitting of Nitish Reddy, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klaasen, and you have a really dangerous batting unit that most opposition bowlers would dread. 

Weakness: Bowling and home conditions

Sunrisers Hyderabad are a batting-heavy unit, but they do have some experienced bowlers like Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Shami, and Rahul Chahar. However, these bowlers would be playing all their home games on flat tracks which could be a double-edged sword. While it allows the SRH batters to get plenty of runs, the bowlers could also leak too many. The economy rates of Cummins, Patel, and Shami have always been a concern in the IPL and could hurt Sunrisers in a few games this year. 

Opportunities: A revival for Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan’s career has been rather bemusing. A little over a year ago, he was part of the Indian white ball team and the first-choice keeper for T20Is. However, now he seems to have been left out in the cold and was released by Mumbai Indians as well. Kishan would have a point to prove to his former employers, and with Sanju Samson faltering in the recently concluded England series, the wicketkeeper spot for India might have a vacancy for Kishan once again. 

Threats: Injuries to Shami, Reddy, and the form of Klaasen

Mohammed Shami and Nitish Reddy will be key players for Sunrisers Hyderabad this season, but their fitness could be a bit of a concern. Nitish Reddy suffered a side strain while playing against England and seems to have just recovered full fitness. How he goes about things would be interesting to see, especially since he would be needed with the bat and ball. 

Mohammed Shami came back after more than a year’s layoff in the limited-overs games against England and subsequently, played the Champions Trophy. Even in the Champions Trophy, he was off the field at times in the games against Pakistan and New Zealand. Therefore, how his body reacts to the rigors of the IPL could be a concern. 

Heinrich Klaasen was retained for a whopping 23 million by SRH. He had a superb season in 2024, as he took down opposition spinners for fun. Klaasen however had a lean SA20 this year, where he averaged just 28.29, with plenty of single-digit scores to his name. He had a bad game against New Zealand as well in the Champions Trophy semi-final. SRH fans would be hoping that Klaasen can find his form once again when he returns to the Uppal Stadium.