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Heinrich Klaasen To Target Siraj? 5 Player Battles To Watch Out In GT vs SRH IPL Match

Arnav Chopra

Heinrich Klaasen and Mohammed Siraj (Source: @IPL/X.com)Heinrich Klaasen and Mohammed Siraj (Source: @IPL/X.com)

It's time for the troubled Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to go head-to-head against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 51st match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The Gujarat Titans side, who are fourth on the table with six wins in nine matches, will be eyeing a crucial win at their home at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad side, on the other hand, are playing to save themselves from the embarrassment of elimination, as they have only won three matches so far out of their nine completed, whereas they have lost six games. With six points, they are ninth with a net run rate of -1.103.

With this crucial encounter in hand, the match-up between batters and bowlers will come in handy, as both these sides will look to gather a crucial win under their belt.

1. Travis Head vs Rashid Khan

Criteria
Data
Innings2
Runs17
Wickets1
Balls
12
Average17.00
Strike Rate 141.66
  • Although unlikely, but putting Rashid Khan early into the attack against SRH could work in their favour, as Travis Head has only been able to manage 17 runs off 12 balls, he has faced against the Afghan spinner. Head likes to be aggressive right from the start. Hence, going against the spinner will be tough for the Aussie batter.
  • Rashid can be economical even in the powerplay if he's utilized properly whereas Head's credentials against leg spinners are fairly decent. Therefore, it will be interesting to see if Head keeps his usual attacking mindset against Rashid, or if he targets other bowlers apart from Rashid if the spinner is brought inside the powerplay.

2. Ishan Kishan vs Mohammed Siraj

Criteria
Data
Innings8
Runs75
Wickets2
Balls
50
Average37.50
Strike Rate 150.00
  • The battle between Ishan Kishan and Mohammed Siraj has been dominated by Ishan, as he has managed to strike runs at a rate of 150. In eight innings so far, Siraj has been able to dismiss Ishan only twice, while the left-handed batter has smacked him for 75 runs off 50 balls he has bowled against him.
  • Siraj has been lethal in the powerplay in this IPL while Ishan, apart from a century, hasn't lived up to the expectations. Hence, it will be quite interesting to see if Siraj manages to make use of this opportunity considering Ishan's form. Also, if Ishan manages to take on Siraj in this encounter, the pacer will have to change his gameplan.

3. Heinrich Klaasen vs Mohammed Siraj

Criteria
Data
Innings2
Runs28
Wickets1
Balls
14
Average28.00
Strike Rate 200.00
  • The South African stalwart Heinrich Klaasen is primarily an aggressive middle-order batter who dominates, especially in the death overs. On two occasions, Siraj has bowled against Klaasen, the Indian pacer has dismissed him once so far. Whereas Klaasen has managed to bat against him at a strike rate of 200, as he has faced 14 deliveries to score 28 runs.
  • Siraj will have to nail his yorkers against Klaasen, otherwise the African batter would dominate him in the final overs of the game, when he becomes a beast with the bat, going after everything that missed the target even by a milimeter.

4. Sai Sudharsan vs Pat Cummins

Criteria
Data
Innings2
Runs11
Wickets1
Balls
12
Average11.00
Strike Rate 91.66
  • One of the top batters of this IPL 2025, Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan has had trouble facing Pat Cummins in the past. Off 12 deliveries Cummins has bowled against Sudharsan, he has only been able to manage 11 runs, while getting dismissed dismissed once out of the two times. With a strike rate of 91.66, Sudharshan generally plays Cummins with caution, as the Australian express pacer likes to be accurate with his line and length.
  • Therefore, with Sudharsan being highly effective at the start of the innings especially, Cummins should look to bring himself in, right in the powerplay, to ensure he neutralizes Sudharsan's effect.
  • And if things stack up in his favour, Sudharsan could even walk back into the pavilion early in his innings, considering he has been a major factor for the Titans this season. Additionally, Cummins can disrupt the Titans' plans with an early wicket of Sudharsan, which Sunrisers will be keen to gather.

5. Shubman Gill vs Mohammed Shami

Criteria
Data
Innings6
Runs57
Wickets2
Balls
46
Average28.50
Strike Rate 123.91
  • GT skipper Shubman Gill has been sent back to the pavilion twice by Mohammad Shami. The Indian pacer has bowled 46 deliveries against him, while Gill has struck 57 runs so far. An average of 28.50 and a strike rate of 123.91 reflects Gill's inability to go big against Shami, which the right-arm pacer would be proud of.
  • Although, Shubman takes some time to settle in, and that is when Shami can be quite effective with the ball early on in the powerplay, as his line and length with some movement could cause the right-hander problems. With a marginally lower strike rate against Shami, Shubman might be looking to extend his stay at the crease rather than going aggressively.