The season started off very well for SRH but it has been downhill since then and they come into Sunday’s game bottom of the table with just two points from four games. Two other sides have also managed to win only once, but SRH have the worst run rate in the competition.
The Gujarat Titans are third on the table having lost one and won two. There are six teams currently level on four points with the Titans boasting the second-best run rate of the group.
As much as it is unexpected to find SRH at the bottom of the table, when you look at the numbers it isn’t hard to see why they are there.
There much vaunted batting is not working, and their bowlers are struggling. in their four games thus far, they have averaged 17 runs per over in the final four overs of each innings.
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Gujarat Titans | IPL 2025 Game 19 | Sunday 06 April | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | 4:00 pm
While the SRH bowling has struggled, so too have the top order. As much as SRH boast an impressive batting line-up the failures of their top order have been putting the middle order under pressure and in turn they have struggled.
The only game where SRH looked impressive was built around a century from number three Ishan Kishan and a solid 67 from opener Travis Head. They need more of that if they are to return to winning ways.
The Gujarat Titans will be without Kagiso Rabada who has flown back to South Africa for personal reasons. His absence could mean an opportunity for exciting New Zealand allrounder Glenn Phillips.
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad
The SRH have a good record at home having won 36 of the 59 matches they have played there – that’s a win rate of 62%. In the 2024 season they were beaten just once at home. Thus far in 2025 they have won once and lost once at home.
The previous high IPL score at the venue was set last season with SRH posting a huge 277 for four in their game against the Mumbai Indians. They surpassed that in their season opener against RR when they blasted 286 for six, the second highest ever score in IPL history.
The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is famous for its batsman friendly nature – two of the three highest ever IPL scores were made there and four of the top 20.
Weather:
It’s going to be warm in Hyderabad on Sunday. The temperature will be around 30 degrees and there will be no rain. The breeze is light and the humidity manageable. In short, it’s good conditions for cricket.
Form (most recent game first):
SRH: L, L, L, W, L.
GT: W, W, L, A, A.
Key player
Sunrisers Hyderabad, Travis Head: The Australian opener is a key player at the top of the order for SRH and they need him to fire. His scores have been getting lower with each innings he has played – having started with a 67 he has followed it up with knocks of 47, 22 and four.
Whatever Head scores, he scores quickly. Indeed, he is just a handful of runs away from reaching 1000 runs in IPL cricket – if and when he reaches that landmark, he is likely to position himself at the top of the list of batsmen with highest strike rates and 1000 runs. It’s unlikely that Head will change his style of play. He is going to play his shots and hope for the best. If he fires expect the rest of the batting line-up to follow in his wake.
Gujarat Titans, Jos Buttler: The former England skipper appears to have made the number three spot at GT his own. He looks enormously comfortable there and the runs are flowing. The GT top order is doing such a good job that their middle order have hardly got a chance to play.
With scores of 73*, 39 and 54, Buttler is averaging 83 per innings and looking imperious. On a batting friendly wicket in Hyderabad, he should rightly be expected to fill his boots once again.
Verdict: Gujarat Titans
SRH have a good leader and some experienced players but nothing they have done thus far, aside from their batting in the first game, has looked confident.
Conversely the Titans are looking fluent and are performing well with bat and ball. Confidence is key in IPL, so expect the Titans to edge things in a high scoring game.
