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SRH's Struggles Continue with 80-Run Defeat Against KKR
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins expressed frustration after his team suffered an 80-run defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Kolkata on Thursday. The loss marked SRH's third consecutive setback in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), leaving them searching for solutions.
After the match, Cummins admitted that the target set by KKR was within reach but was ultimately too much for his team. “Not a great time. I think this was a pretty good wicket. Left too many in the field and then fell well short in the end,” he said.
The SRH skipper acknowledged the need for introspection and suggested that the team might have to reassess their approach in the coming games. “We need to be realistic, three games in a row hasn't come off for us. We need to maybe look back at whether we could have chosen better options. Our batters are best when they take the game on, but looking back, maybe we could have taken different options,” Cummins added.
While SRH's bowling attack wasn't particularly bad, the team’s fielding lapses proved costly. “It was mainly our fielding; overall, bowling wasn’t bad. We should have taken a few catches and stopped them a bit earlier,” Cummins admitted.
On the decision to leave out leg-spinner Adam Zampa, the SRH captain explained that the conditions were not ideal for spin. “We only bowled three overs of spin, the ball wasn't gripping for us too. So we opted to go without him,” he said.
Despite the heavy loss, Cummins emphasized the importance of moving forward. “I will probably address it on whether we could have used different options, but I don't want to dwell too much on it. We go back to a venue we know so well now,” he concluded.
Match Highlights:
SRH won the toss and elected to field first. Their decision initially paid off as they reduced KKR to 16/2, sending Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine back for single-digit scores. However, a counter-attack by Ajinkya Rahane (38 off 27 balls, including four boundaries and four sixes) and Raghuvanshi (50 off 32 balls, with five fours and two sixes) helped KKR recover. Despite losing these two players quickly, Venkatesh Iyer (60 off 29 balls, including seven fours and three sixes) and Rinku Singh (32* off 17 balls, with four fours and a six) powered KKR to a total of 200/6 in 20 overs, with a 91-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Mohammed Shami (1/29) and Harshal Patel (1/43) were the standout bowlers for SRH.
During the run-chase, SRH never really found their rhythm. They lost wickets rapidly, with Vaibhav Arora (3/29) and Varun Chakravarthy (3/22) putting in impressive bowling performances. Only Heinrich Klaasen (33 off 21 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Kamindu Mendis (27 off 20 balls, including a four and two sixes) managed to cross the 20-run mark, as SRH fell short, managing only 120/8 in their 20 overs.
With this victory, KKR’s IPL campaign is somewhat back on track. They now have two wins and two losses, placing them in fifth position. Meanwhile, SRH sits at the bottom of the table with just one win and three losses.
(Source-NDTV Sports)
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