Sunrisers Hyderabad's Batting Basal: Aggression Backfires Again, Exposing Bowling Concerns In Heavy IPL 2025 Defeats

For a team built on the philosophy and thrill of taking the game head-on, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s high-risk batting strategy faltered spectacularly once again as they suffered their third straight loss in IPL 2025—an 80-run hammering at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday night. (Points Table | Full Coverage)

On a slow surface in Kolkata, SRH’s top order collapsed for their worst-ever start under this ultra-aggressive philosophy, slumping to 9 for 3 inside the first three overs. That early implosion effectively ended the contest even before KKR’s famed spin trio could roll their arms over.

Despite a brief flicker of hope in the 14th over—with Heinrich Klaasen trying to engineer a miracle with 94 needed off 36—it was never truly on. SRH were eventually bowled out for 120, falling well short of the 201-run target and sinking to the bottom of the points table.

This latest batting failure has exposed more than just SRH's dependence on fast starts. It also shone a harsh light on a longer-standing concern: the team’s leaky bowling unit. KKR plundered 78 runs in the last five overs of their innings, turning what could’ve been a par total of 170-180 into a daunting 200/6—thanks to a devastating burst from Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh.

The numbers, however, paint a worrying picture. Last season, SRH’s bowlers had the second-worst economy rate (after Delhi Capitals) and the worst average in the competition. This year, they’ve slipped even further: their economy rate of 10.83 is currently the worst in IPL 2025, while their bowling average (41.15) is only slightly better than Rajasthan Royals’.

SRH’s struggles in the death overs were particularly costly at Eden Gardens. Despite a surface that offered some grip and variable bounce, their bowlers failed to adapt.

This isn’t just about one bad day. The cracks have long existed—masked only when their top order fired on all cylinders. On Thursday, when the batters flopped, the bowlers had no answer to the counterattack from KKR’s middle and lower order.