Ex-England skipper Michael Vaughan has expressed concerns over SunRisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) strategy in IPL 2025 following their defeat against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The Pat Cummins-led team lost by five wickets at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, bringing their ultra-aggressive batting plan under the spotlight.
SRH posted 190/9 in their 20 overs, but LSG chased it down comfortably in just 17 overs, thanks to explosive knocks from Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh. Vaughan pointed out that while SRH’s batting power is formidable, the strategy might backfire if they don’t balance it properly.
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SRH’s Bowlers Struggling on Flat Pitches
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Vaughan cautioned that SRH’s batting-friendly pitches might demoralize their bowlers. “Clearly, we speak about Hyderabad’s batting, the power, and the massive scores they achieve. They’ve got to be careful that the bowlers don’t lose confidence because they are bowling on this road,” Vaughan said.
He also pointed out how some of the main SRH bowlers such as Mohammed Shami, Adam Zampa, and even captain Pat Cummins have been costly in the initial two matches. “Pat Cummins’s played a good game tonight but he gave 60 in the first match. Zampa’s got destroyed, really, today. Shami’s gone at 12 today,” he said.
Teams Don’t Win Tournaments With One Style of Cricket’
Vaughan also stressed the need for flexibility in cricket, advising SRH not to put all their eggs in the power-hitting basket. “I’m yet to see a team win a big tournament playing just one type of cricket. SunRisers may have to shift their gears. Yes, go hard when you can, but it may not always be the case,” he wrote.
SRH had also displayed their firepower at the beginning of the season when they scored a record 286/6 against Rajasthan Royals. But Vaughan feels that wiser cricket against LSG could have enabled them to put up a better total.
As SRH goes ahead in the tournament, the question remains: Can they find the right balance between explosive batting and restrained bowling to become serious contenders?
