Sunrisers Hyderabad's ₹39.25 Crore Top-Order Flops Fuel IPL 2025 Slump

Sunrisers Hyderabad's (SRH) disappointing start to IPL 2025: Despite a strong beginning to IPL 2025, last season's runners-up, Sunrisers Hyderabad, have suffered four consecutive defeats, placing them at the bottom of the points table. This slump is largely attributed to the poor form of their three top batsmen: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan.

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Poor Performance in IPL 2025: Last season, Sunrisers Hyderabad reached the IPL final thanks to strong batting performances. Although they didn't win the title, their performance was widely praised. Expectations were high that Hyderabad would repeat this success this season. The franchise spent ₹39.25 crore on just three batsmen, but the results have been disappointing. Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan, the three batsmen on whom Hyderabad placed a big bet, have underperformed. As a result, Hyderabad has lost four out of five matches this season and is languishing at the bottom of the points table in 10th place.

Travis Head's Bat Remains Silent

Last season, opener Travis Head smashed 567 runs in 15 matches, including a century and four half-centuries. The team retained him this season, increasing his salary from ₹6.80 crore to ₹14 crore. However, except for the first match, his bat has remained largely silent this season. He has scored only 148 runs in five matches.

Abhishek Sharma Scores Only 27 Runs in His Last Four Innings

Young opener Abhishek Sharma scored 484 runs in 16 matches last season, including three half-centuries. His partnership with Travis Head was explosive. The franchise retained him, raising his salary from ₹6.50 crore to ₹14 crore. High expectations surrounded Abhishek this IPL season, but he has hugely disappointed, scoring only 51 runs in five matches. In his last four innings, he has managed just 27 runs.

Ishan Kishan Scores Only 21 Runs in His Last Four Innings

The Hyderabad franchise showed faith in wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan, spending ₹11.25 crore on him in the mega auction. Ishan scored a century in the first match, but his performance in the following four matches has been extremely disappointing, impacting the team. Ishan has scored 127 runs this season, with only 21 runs coming from his bat in the last four innings.

Rayudu Says Hyderabad Batsmen Need to Show More Prudence

Former Indian batsman Ambati Rayudu believes that Sunrisers Hyderabad's top batsmen need to bat more sensibly. He said, "The reason for Hyderabad's poor performance is the failure of its top batsmen. Abhishek Sharma needs to change his approach. He should spend more time at the crease. Travis Head and Ishan Kishan should focus on building an innings rather than constantly hitting boundaries."