Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has predicted that Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will continue their fearless style of cricket in the upcoming IPL 2025 that led them to the finals last season. Chopra is confident that the SRH will stick to their power-hitting philosophy because they have built a squad similar to last year.
He pointed out that Sunrisers Hyderabad remains heavily loaded with left-handed batters at the top, featuring Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen, with the addition of Ishan Kishan at number three, so their intent was clear to dominate with six-hitting from the start.
Aakash Chopra predicts SRH set to stick to a power-hitting strategy in the IPL 2025
Aakash Chopra said on Star Sports, “They will play exactly the same brand of cricket because they have tried to make the same team again. They have picked another lefty (Ishan Kishan) at number 3. The one who’s a bit against it is the notion that why do you need so many lefties? 1, 2, 3, at least keep one righty. But they said, No. Our philosophy is that we only have to hit sixes.”
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Sunrisers Hyderabad faced a major issue with their bowling last season, often conceding as many runs as they scored. To address this issue, the franchise has strengthened its bowling attack with key signings.
And Chopra said that Rahul Chahar fills the gap for a reliable spinner, while Mohammed Shami and Harshal Patel will handle different phases, and they are his SRH’s favorite signings.
Aakash Chopra picks SRH’s favorite signings for this season
The cricket pundit further explained, “Two Indian fast bowlers and Rahul Chahar. Because they had a problem last year that if they are making 250-260 runs, then you are also giving away 250 runs. They were looking for a genuine spinner, and they found it in Rahul Chahar.
And then Mohammed Shami and Harshal Patel. One will handle the top; one will handle the tail. And Pat Cummins, I think, covered the hole that was a bit big.”
Speaking about SRH’s weakness, Chopra noted that if the top order collapses, the batting lineup could be vulnerable, as there isn’t a proven finisher beyond Nitish Kumar at number five for the upcoming IPL 2025.
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Aakash Chopra opens up about Sunrisers Hyderabad’s weaknesses
Chopra added, “One day, SRH’s batting line-up might collapse. If it collapses, you’ll have Nitish Kumar ready till number 5. Who’s at number 6? And that is where you start feeling that uh-uh, there is a bit of a problem. Because these 6, 7, and 8 are not like the finishers you see in other teams.”
Additionally, the Hyderabad team’s first-choice XI looks solid, but any injuries might leave them exposed due to a lack of quality backups this season.
He signed off by saying, “And secondly, if you look at the makeup of this team, they are a very good team till the top 12-13. If someone gets injured, there’s no backup behind them. So, not having a backup could be the make or break. So, hopefully, everyone stays fit and in form because there’s no one sitting behind them.”
Notably, Sunrisers Hyderabad will open their campaign against Rajasthan Royals on March 23 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
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