SRH Require Improved Overall Performances to Enter Playoffs, States Unadkat

Sunrisers Hyderabad's campaign in the 2025 Indian Premier League is teetering on the brink. While the team is on the cusp of elimination, it has to win all its games that remain and pray for other matches to go in its favor if it has to reach the playoffs. Last year, SRH surprised all of us by reaching the final with their aggressive and high-scoring batting performances. But this year, they have not been able to show that kind of form, struggling to be consistent both in batting and bowling.

The team's inability to produce complete performances has been one of the key reasons behind their poor season till now. In a recent game against Gujarat Titans, the problems were again visible. Fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat was exasperated, noting that the team hasn't been able to play together at all so far this season. "We've had one or two good games, like the Chennai game where everything clicked," Unadkat said. "But today, it just didn't come together. We might bowl well sometimes but not field well, and vice versa."

Unadkat further said that to win against tough sides such as Gujarat Titans, SRH must deliver a well-rounded performance where batting, bowling, and fielding departments all come together. In the game against Gujarat, SRH's fielding was poor, and this ultimately ended up costing them the match.
"When you don't do well in all areas, it's tough to win," acknowledged Unadkat.

His views were shared by SRH captain Pat Cummins, who also felt that their bowling in the powerplay was not up to the mark. "We gave away 20-30 extra runs, and I’m guilty of dropping a catch," Cummins admitted. "When you’re chasing a target of 200, the pressure increases, especially when the conditions aren’t ideal."

Bowling has been another area of concern for SRH this season. Unadkat emphasized that the side has not succeeded in establishing the proper rhythm with its bowlers. "In IPL, to perform well, you require 3 or 4 bowlers to chip in every match. We haven't been able to do that this season," he said. "When two bowlers are performing, the rest can't back them up, so there's more pressure on the ones who are doing it. It's all about partnerships, both batting and bowling, and we haven't had that this season."

To get back on track, SRH's Unadkat thinks they have to do a better job executing on the field. No matter how hard they work in practice and planning, it's match day performance that matters. "We've trained hard, but just haven't executed well enough in matches. You can't win if you're not your best," Unadkat conceded.

As SRH attempt to rescue its playoff chances, the team will have to produce overall performances in all departments. It's not all about individual brilliance; it's about functioning as a unit. Until then, SRH's attention needs to be on making their batting and bowling click and their fielding not let them down for once. If they do succeed in balancing and maintaining that consistency, there is still hope for them to reach the second round of competition. But now that each and every match must be a win, the tension is only bound to grow more intense as time goes on.