SRH redefined the limits of T20 batting in the 2024 season and doing more of the same would be their modus operandi in 2025 as well.
Sunrisers Hyderabad may not have won the title in 2024 but their rampage throughout the season will probably be remembered as one that redefined how to bat in a T20 match. They maintained a run rate of over 10 throughout the league stage last year, making scores like 250 par for the course.
Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma sent bowlers to all parts of grounds around the country during the powerplay in 2024(Getty Images)
A crucial part of their ridiculous big-hitting was the starts that were given by openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head. Their run rate in the powerplay throughout the season was a whopping 13.21 runs an over and they scored a ridiculous 599 runs in 13 innings last season at an average of 49.91
Strength: More big-hitting power
Ishan Kishan has joined the band of merry six-hitters. Now while he was an opener all these years for Mumbai Indians, it will be a surprise if SRH break the Head-Abhishek partnership and so Kishan should slot in at No.3. On his day, Kishan can win matches on his own and moreover, the fact that he has been ignored for national selection entirely in the past year or so would mean that he might have a point or two to prove.
Nitish Kumar Reddy should come next and his confidence is sky high at the moment due to the success he enjoyed playing for India in T20Is and then, more importantly, in the Test matches in Australia. The only concern with him would be that he has not played any cricket for over a month as he was recovering from a side strain he sustained during India’s T20 series against England in January. The irresistible Heinrich Klaasen should slot in next and he and Reddy could exchange positions depending on the situation of the match. Abhinav Manohar has shown his finishing skills in the past and if he doesn’t work, captain Pat Cummins can surely swing them. Power all the way.
Weakness: A bad day with the bat, Mohammed Shami’s form
A high-risk approach such as the one that SRH adopted last season does come with pitfalls, which was seen at the worst stage possible. In the final against KKR, SRH lost as many as four wickets in the first seven overs for just 47 runs, with Abhishek being dismissed for two and Head for a duck. They ended up being all out for 113 runs and KKR won it in just over 10 overs. Before that, they were restricted to 175/9 by Rajasthan Royals in the second qualifier despite scoring 99 runs in the first 10 overs.
The other weakness is more of an uncertainty. Mohammed Shami seemed to have come ever closer to being at his best as the 2025 Champions Trophy progressed and his contributions with the ball were integral to India winning the title. It is a long season ahead of Shami now, with the IPL being followed by a gruelling five-Test tour of England. SRH would hence have to strike a balance between getting the absolute best out of the 34-year-old while ensuring that he doesn’t run into another set of fitness troubles.
Prediction
As was the case last year, SRH are going to be a real pain for any bowler visiting Hyderabad and not wearing their colours. That incredible batting lineup alone makes them favourites to reach the final again. Once there, though, it will all depend on whether they can make their big-hitting ways work at the Eden Gardens.
SRH full squad: Pat Cummins, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Travis Head, Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel, Ishan Kishan, Rahul Chahar, Adam Zampa, Atharva Taide, Abhinav Manohar, Simarjeet Singh, Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Brydon Carse, Kamindu Mendis, Aniket Verma, Eshan Malinga, Sachin Baby.
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