3 Areas Pat Cummins Needs To Work On To Get SRH Back On Track vs PBKS

Probuddha Bhattacharjee

Pat Cummins for SRH [Source: @JustinChenni/x.com]Pat Cummins for SRH [Source: @JustinChenni/x.com]

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has struggled this IPL 2025 season with a concerning 1-4 record, while Punjab Kings (PBKS) boasts a solid 3-1 performance. As SRH prepares for their upcoming encounter with PBKS, they must address three critical issues to turn their campaign around.

1. Bowling Economy Crisis

SRH's bowling unit has become a significant liability, with their premier bowlers leaking runs at alarming rates. Pat Cummins, despite taking 4 wickets, has maintained a poor economy of 10.63, while Simarjeet Singh's economy stands at a disastrous 13.43. Even their most successful wicket-taker, Mohammad Shami (5 wickets), has conceded 8.78 runs per over.

Against PBKS's explosive batting lineup featuring Shreyas Iyer (188.76 strike rate) and Priyansh Arya (205.19 strike rate), SRH cannot afford such expensive bowling. Their death bowling particularly needs immediate attention, as PBKS's middle-order batsmen like Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh have shown tremendous finishing ability.

2. Inconsistent Middle-Order Performance

While Heinrich Klaasen (152 runs) and Travis Head (148 runs) have delivered at the top, SRH's middle order has failed to capitalise. Nitish Kumar Reddy's strike rate of only 112.00 reveals a concerning inability to accelerate when needed. This batting dropoff becomes especially problematic when chasing competitive totals or setting defendable targets.

PBKS, meanwhile, maintains consistent aggression throughout their batting order with five batsmen striking above 140. SRH must develop strategies to both stabilize their middle-order collapse tendency and improve their acceleration capabilities in the crucial 10-15 over phase.

3. Powerplay Utilisation

SRH has struggled to maximise the powerplay overs, failing to set aggressive platforms that modern T20 cricket demands. While Travis Head has shown glimpses of brilliance, the team hasn't consistently capitalized on field restrictions during the first six overs.

In contrast, PBKS openers like Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have been exceptional at utilizing the powerplay, giving their team flying starts. SRH needs to develop a more aggressive powerplay approach, possibly restructuring their batting order to feature their most attack-minded players up front.

For their next encounter against PBKS, SRH must address these three critical areas. Their bowling unit needs immediate tactical adjustments, the middle order requires defined role clarity, and their powerplay strategy demands complete revision. Without these fixes, PBKS' balanced squad will likely extend SRH's disappointing run in IPL 2025.