SunRisers Hyderabad made it to the finals last season but failed to repeat their performances since; even though they looked like carrying IPL 2024’s form into this edition with how they played their tournament opener this time, losing four matches on the trot crushed all those thoughts. Be it their batting or bowling, they’ve fallen flat in their past four games, and former IPL great Ambati Rayudu pinpointed their biggest problem.

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What SRH hasn’t done is pick wickets in the middle overs this season, picking just 12 during that phase (overs seven to 16), averaging 41.33 at an economy of 9.92 – the third-worst among all ten teams thus far in IPL 2025.

"I think more than their bowling it's their batting that is struggling. In the middle overs, they don't have anybody who can pick up those crucial wickets and put the opposition under pressure - like how GT have done with Sai Kishore, Rashid [Khan] and Prasidh Krishna. They really tightened the screws,” Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo's TimeOut show. 

"I don't see SRH trying to take wickets. They are just about being defensive and trying to stop batsmen from scoring boundaries. You don't win the IPL with mediocre middle-overs bowling. You need some really good middle-overs bowlers to pick up those wickets,” he continued.

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Batting came down crashing

Ahead of the start of the 18th edition, many expected SRH to breach the 300-run-mark in the IPL, let alone do so, barring in their first game this season when they came close by hitting 286 against the Rajasthan Royals, their all-out attack approach backfired. SRH registered scores of 190 against Lucknow Super Giants and 163, 120 and 152 in their next three games.

SRH’s dynamite opening pair came under the scanner for failing to provide the team with the kinds of starts they wanted. Although overseas batter Travis Head still has a couple of fifties this season to boast about, Abhishek Sharma scoring just 51 runs across the past five innings worries SRH management. 

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Also read | SRH owner Kavya Maran’s animated reaction to Head, Abhishek’s dismissals against GT – Watch Viral Video

Suggesting what little amends the Indian opener must make to his game to improve his numbers, Rayudu said changing his mindset is the first step in the right direction. 

"I think he just needs a shift in his mindset," he said. "Just hit those few boundaries along the ground, beside mid-off, [or] mid-on; run those singles; get your 10-15 runs; [and] get your blood flow going. Then the big shots will always come because you have trained for it. You are there to hit them, and they will come. Just spend a little time on the basics. I think SRH will have to come to basics now.

"All their top three actually like [good] length a lot. So, they are looking to clear the infield and hit those sixes off length, which they have been practising of late. Their backlifts have changed. Abhishek Sharma's backlift has changed, Ishan Kishan does that. They are lifting the bat much higher so that their hands are higher, and they can go for those big shots,” Rayudu continued. 

(With inputs from agencies)