Sunrisers Hyderabad find themselves in an unusual predicament, possessing one of the most skilled rosters in IPL 2025 yet languishing at the bottom of the standings. Their current plight, marked by four consecutive defeats, has stripped them of all momentum. However, the question remains: what can they realistically change? The primary issue has been the underperformance of their key players, particularly their star opening partnership, which has adversely affected the overall effectiveness of their impressive batting lineup.

In an effort to bolster their batting performance, SRH has experimented with various combinations. They replaced Abhinav Manohar with Kamindu Mendis, but this decision has resulted in the absence of Adam Zampa from their bowling attack, creating a slight vulnerability in that area as well.

As they prepare to host a formidable Punjab Kings team at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, SRH will be eager to rely on their batting prowess. The explosive batting lineup of PBKS may prompt Pat Cummins and the SRH management to consider including an additional bowler. It is crucial for SRH's batting to find its form at some point during this tournament; if they succeed, it could pose significant challenges even for a well-rounded team like PBKS.

Conversely, Punjab Kings have established a solid balance, with various players consistently stepping up to contribute. Their current position, sitting on six points after four matches without significant contributions from Glenn Maxwell or Marcus Stoinis, highlights the strength of their Indian players. This includes their promising uncapped Indian openers and Shashank Singh, who has been performing exceptionally well as a finisher in the lower order.

PBKS is unlikely to make many changes, maintaining the flexibility to decide whether Yash Thakur will play as an additional bowler or if they will opt for one of their other options. Shreyas Iyer’s team is presented with an opportunity to ascend the standings, and it is reasonable to expect that the squad will be motivated to complicate matters further for last year’s runners-up.

SRH vs PBKS Likely XIs

SRH likely XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel, Zeeshan Ansari, Mohammed Shami, Adam Zampa

PBKS likely XI: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Lockie Ferguson

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