It’s no longer a case of go hard or go home for Sunrisers Hyderabad. The 2024 finalists, who redefined batting in the Indian Premier League, are no longer a side that simply goes broke. After beating Punjab Kings on May 6 to top the table, SRH seem to have found their sweet spot and have been consistently scoring high totals this season.
After their attacking approach backfired in 2025 and resulted in a goal outside the playoff spots, the think tank recalibrated. They have now found a more sustainable path while still maintaining their core philosophy.
SRH vs PBKS: MAIN | SCORECARD
Out of 11 matches this season, SRH have failed to get below the 200-run mark only three times. The Pat Cummins-led side have always had huge batting firepower, but it is their consistency that makes them particularly dangerous this year. They also seem to be improving with each game after Cummins’ return, a trend that bodes well for the playoffs.
SEPARATION OF THE OPENERS FROM THE REST
A key factor in SRH’s success was the measured approach of the middle order, tasked with assessing the conditions and setting realistic targets during the middle innings. This allows openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head to continue their ultra-aggressive approach while players like Heinrich Klaasen and Ishan Kishan adapt to the demands of the surface and the match situation.
This marks a shift from the previous two seasons when SRH relentlessly attacked from start to finish. While this approach caught teams off guard in 2024, opponents adapted in 2025 and exposed a significant flaw in their method.
Acknowledging this development after the win over Punjab, Cummins explained how the team has clearly defined roles in the batting unit.
“We’re pretty good at playing at our own pace. We don’t try and start conservatively. It’s not really Abhi and Travis’ style. It’s about trying to maximize as much as we can,” Cummins said.
The SRH skipper added that the team does not go into the game with a fixed goal, instead adapting as the innings unfolds.
“We weren’t thinking about the total or anything, and then maybe later in the inning if it goes the other way, we were pretty good at adjusting,” he said.
KLAASEN WORKED FOR SRH
Much of that success is down to Klaasen at No.4, who has stepped up with 494 runs from 11 matches. Interestingly, he moderated his approach slightly to score 157, which is slightly below his usual standards.
SRH have also benefited from the consistent contributions of Abhishek and Kishan, who are second and fourth on the run-scoring list this season. Abhishek has scored 475 runs at 210 while Kishan has 409 at 186, reflecting a subtle shift in the team’s batting.
Their bowling unit also held up well, with uncapped players performing crucially throughout the season. The side looked more settled after giving up the inclusion of Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat in the starting line-up, which helped them build a strong run of results.
“We’ve played some really good cricket here in Hyderabad over the last couple of years. It suits our style. Even tonight it got a bit interesting, which suits a lot of our bowlers towards the end,” Cummins said.
With the win over Punjab, SRH now have 14 points from 11 matches and are within touching distance of a playoff spot. Three group stage matches remain, against Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings and defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
07 May 2026 05:15 IST
