Sunrisers Hyderabad were one of the most watched teams during the course of IPL 2024. It was down to their no-holds-barred approach in every game, mainly due to the presence of Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Heinrich Klaasen. But ahead of the start of IPL 2025, former India cricketer turned commentator Akash Chopra has identified some issues within SRH’s Playing XI that could be a problem for the 2016 IPL champions.
Akash Chopra finds faults in SRH’s Playing XI ahead of IPL 2025
Before the IPL mega auction, Sunrisers Hyderabad decided to retain Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen. It was a no-brainer considering the profile of these players. Still, Chopra highlighted some potential faults in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s playing XI ahead of the start of IPL 2025 season.
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“If you get past the top five, somehow you dismiss the top five below 125 to 150 runs or so, then they can find themselves in a spot of bother. I am saying that because either Abhinav Manohar will play at No.6, or you have the options of Aniket Verma and Sachin Baby,” Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“Although Pat Cummins can come to bat, but even if Pat Cummins bats at No. 7, it’s one number higher than where he should be. So they need two batters at Nos. 6 and 7, and both will be Indians. They are difficult spots to bat. If you keep your most inexperienced players there, it could be a slight problem. This is a potential weakness,” Chopra added.
On top of that, Chopra also highlighted the big issue of uncertainty around captain Pat Cummins, who also sat out the entire Champions Trophy 2025 due to an injury.
“What’s the scene with Pat Cummins’ injury? He missed the Champions Trophy just now. Will he be available for the entire season? If he isn’t available, there could be a slight leadership void. Who will you suddenly make the captain?” he said.
Last season’s beaten finalists Sunrisers Hyderabad will open their IPL 2025 campaign with the match against Rajasthan Royals on March 23. It will be a home game for the SRH and so the team will be hoping to start the campaign with a positive result.
