Will Kishan 2.0 be unleashed at SRH? Premium

Sunrisers Hyderabad's explosive batting lineup, led by Ishan Kishan, poses a formidable challenge for IPL bowlers in 2025.

For bowlers going up against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2024, blunting two belligerent left-hand batters in Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma at the top of the order was hard enough.

By the looks of the boundary-hitting mayhem that transpired at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday in SRH’s opening match of IPL 2025, their job has become more onerous with the addition of another explosive left-hander, Ishan Kishan, to a Sunrisers batting unit brimming with firepower. Besides his dashing strokeplay, the fact that the 26-year-old, neglected by the national selectors over the past year, has a point or two to prove makes him all the more potent.

Just ask Rajasthan Royals. Its bowling unit may not be as distinguished as it was during the previous few seasons, particularly in the spin department where R. Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal have moved on to other teams. Nevertheless, Jofra Archer at full pelt is still a fearsome proposition. Sandeep Sharma is a wily operator predisposed to subtle changes of pace. Maheesh Theekshana carries an element of mystery to his off-spin.

None of them, though, was able to check the carnage on a hot afternoon in Uppal as Sunrisers rode on Kishan’s first-ever IPL century – a 47-ball 106 — to amass 286 for six. The day when Pat Cummins & Co. breach the 300-run barrier in the IPL doesn’t seem far away.

Business as usual

In many ways, this was business as usual for the men clad in bright orange and black-striped jerseys.

Yes, all the squads underwent a shake-up during the latest mega auction, but given the spectacular success that SRH had last season, it was prudent in retaining most of its core and continuing with the modus operandi that made it flourish and finish runner-up.