Former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif has expressed his apprehensions regarding Pat Cummins's leadership and the performance of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the current IPL 2025 season. Last year, SRH had a remarkable run under Cummins, reaching the tournament final; however, this season has seen them falter, suffering three consecutive losses that have put them in a challenging position.

Following SRH's 80-run defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday night, Kaif elaborated on Cummins' captaincy, highlighting his decision to underutilize spinners Zeeshan Ansari and Kamindu Mendis despite their effective bowling spells. Both bowlers took a wicket, with Ansari bowling three overs and Mendis contributing just one.

Kaif raised concerns about Cummins’s leadership choices, implying that there is a lack of effective strategies for SRH's performance.

"The batting is struggling, and the bowling is no better. The losses are significant. It will be challenging to recover from this situation. One would expect them to come up with some strategies, as neither Cummins is performing well with the ball nor is Shami taking wickets," Kaif remarked during an interview with Star Sports.

"They also lack spinners. (Adam) Zampa was absent from this match. They opted for Zeeshan, who was not utilized for all his overs. Mendis bowled just one over, took a wicket but was not given another chance. To me, Cummins' captaincy appears to be lacking," he continued.

Kaif further suggested that SRH's decline in form could be attributed to the heightened expectations following their explosive batting performances last season, where they frequently surpassed 250 runs.

"In terms of batting, a target of 200 used to be significant. I believe they are feeling the pressure due to their achievements last year. When the expectation is that Hyderabad will score 300 or 250 this time, it becomes very difficult to replicate that performance under such pressure. They have done it once," he concluded.

SRH being decoded?

Kaif observed that rival teams have adjusted to the playing style of SRH, particularly focusing on their top-order batsmen. He highlighted that previously, players such as Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma capitalized on unprepared bowling lineups, but now, opposing teams have formulated more strategic approaches to counter them.

"Last time, teams were caught off guard. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma could easily accumulate 100 runs in just six overs, as the bowlers were not ready for that. However, I can see the strategies in place this time. They are employing slower deliveries and short balls against Abhishek," Kaif remarked.

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