Follow UsSunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) began the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a spectacular performance with the bat against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), where they scored 286 and then defeated the opposition by 44 runs. However, things have hardly gone to plan post that. Yesterday, May 2, they registered their seventh loss of the season (by 38 runs against the Gujarat Titans) and reduced their chances of playoff qualification to a rare mathematical probability.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, veteran pacer Jaydev Unadkat, who took 3/35 on the day, felt that the team isn’t coming together as a whole, and something or the other keeps lacking in their performances.
"We've had one or two really good games, like you saw in Chennai. There were some great catches taken there," Unadkat said.
"But today was one day where it was all not coming together. When we are bowling well, we might not be fielding well, and when we're actually fielding well or taking those catches, we might not be bowling well.
"Same with the batting innings, we started off well but we lost the plot midway. For a complete performance and to win games against good sides, which Gujarat Titans are, you need a performance where you are doing well in all three departments, and we missed out on the fielding bit today, and that's what cost us the game."
Unadkat also mentioned that similar problems have been visible in the bowling attack, where bowlers have failed to bowl in partnerships and exert extra pressure on the batters.
"From my experience of playing in the IPL, for a team to do well, you need 3-4 guys in terms of your bowling who have to contribute in every game. This year we are lacking that,” Unadkat remarked.
"When two guys are bowling well, the other three are probably not bowling well in tandem. When we look at partnerships in batting, it is the same with bowling as well, because when you are not bowling well from both ends, it creates unnecessary pressure on the other guy, and then the plans also change.
"That hasn't really clicked for us, and we have to take the blame. When you want to win games, you have to be the best and we haven't been the best. I can't say that there is anything we lack in terms of practicing, training or planning, it is just the execution out there on the field.”
SRH’s only hope of playoffs qualification is now winning all their remaining games, reaching 14 points and hoping to edge a bunch of other teams on net run rate.