SRH vs PBKS Live Score, IPL 2025: Struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad eye course correction vs high-flying Punjab Kings
Last season’s finalists, SRH started the current campaign with a bang—blasting 286 to flatten Rajasthan Royals by 44 runs. The ‘Orange Army’ looked all set to become the first team to breach the 300-run mark in IPL history, thanks to their ultra-aggressive batting philosophy.
However, that very approach has begun to unravel. In their last three outings, SRH have managed sub-par scores of 163, 120, and 152—each resulting in heavy defeats. As a result, they find themselves at the bottom of the points table with the worst Net Run Rate in the competition: -1.629.
The batting department, touted as one of the most explosive in the tournament, has failed to fire. Big names like Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klaasen have all underperformed.
Head and Sharma, who were instrumental in providing flying starts last season, have struggled to find rhythm. The duo’s best opening stand this season is a mere 15. Head’s form has tapered off, with scores of 67, 47, 22, 4, and 8. Abhishek hasn’t fared much better, with a top score of just 24 in five innings.
Kishan, who lit up the opening match with an unbeaten century, has looked far from his best since then, while Klaasen—SRH’s middle-order pillar—is yet to make a meaningful contribution.
Despite the poor returns, the team remains committed to its fearless approach. Head coach Daniel Vettori made it clear that the philosophy isn’t the problem—it’s the execution.
“I think we know the style is going to work, but we have to respect conditions, and we have to assess really well and that’s probably something we haven’t done,” Vettori said after their latest loss.
While the batting woes have dominated headlines, SRH’s bowling has offered little relief. The pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mohammed Shami, and Harshal Patel has struggled to make early breakthroughs, and the lack of impact continues through the middle overs, with the bowlers failing to apply pressure or claim key wickets.
In contrast, Punjab Kings are riding high on momentum under the fresh leadership of Shreyas Iyer. The stylish right-hander has led by example with the bat and shown sharp tactical acumen, guiding PBKS to three wins in four games. They currently sit fourth on the table.
A major talking point for Punjab has been the emergence of young opener Priyansh Arya. The rookie stole the limelight with a stunning century against Chennai Super Kings, on a day when most batters found the going tough.
The bowling unit, too, has impressed. Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Marco Jansen have all contributed consistently, offering both variety and control.
Squads:
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Atharva Taide, Abhinav Manohar, Aniket Verma, Sachin Baby, Heinrich Klaasen, Travis Head, Harshal Patel, Kamindu Mendis, Wiaan Mulder, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Shami, Rahul Chahar, Adam Zampa, Simarjeet Singh, Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga.
Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (c), Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Harpreet Brar, Vishnu Vinod, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Josh Inglis, Xavier Bartlett, Kuldeep Sen, Pyla Avinash, Suryansh Shedge, Musheer Khan, Harnoor Pannu, Aaron Hardie, Priyansh Arya, Azmatullah Omarzai.
