Ambati Rayudu Critiques SRH Bowling as 'Mediocre' Following Fourth Consecutive Defeat: 'They Play Too Defensively...'
14 days ago | 5 Views
Former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu has expressed his views on the recent decline of Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2025, emphasizing that the team's bowling department has been a significant factor in their struggles. After a strong start to the season with a decisive victory over the Rajasthan Royals, the Sunrisers have faced a downward trajectory, suffering four consecutive losses and finding themselves at the bottom of the points table. Their latest defeat came against Shubman Gill's Gujarat Titans on Sunday, where the Sunrisers' bowling unit once again underperformed, allowing the Titans to secure an easy two points in Hyderabad.
The team's overly aggressive batting strategy has not yielded positive results, as evidenced by their scores of 190, 163, 120, and 152 in the last four matches. Additionally, their dependence on the opening pair of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma for explosive starts has proven to be a liability.
Despite featuring established international players such as Mohammed Shami, Pat Cummins, and Adam Zampa, the bowling attack has failed to deliver.
Rayudu, a six-time IPL champion, noted that the Sunrisers' bowling has not met expectations, particularly due to the absence of a wicket-taking option during the middle overs, which has hindered their performance.
"I believe their issues stem more from the bowling than the batting. They lack a player who can take crucial wickets or apply pressure during the middle overs. In contrast, look at how Gujarat Titans have performed with Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan, and Prasidh Krishna; they have effectively tightened the screws," Rayudu stated in an interview with ESPNCricinfo.
“You can't win the IPL with mediocre bowling”
The former CSK player evaluated that the SRH bowlers were not focused on taking wickets but rather on preventing boundaries, describing their bowling performance as subpar.
"In the case of SRH, I don't observe any intent to take wickets. They seem to be playing defensively, aiming to restrict the batsmen from hitting boundaries. You cannot succeed in the IPL with average bowling in the middle overs. It is essential to have skilled bowlers who can secure wickets," Rayudu remarked.
During the IPL match on Sunday, Mohammed Siraj delivered a remarkable performance, achieving figures of 4/17 as the Gujarat Titans triumphed over the home team by seven wickets. In pursuit of a target of 153 runs, Shubman Gill contributed an unbeaten 61 runs off 43 balls, while Washington Sundar added 49 runs, leading GT to victory with 20 balls remaining.
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