IPL 2025: Three Playing XI Decisions Sunrisers Hyderabad Must Get Right to Win

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have established themselves as a powerhouse in the Indian Premier League, and after an impressive campaign in IPL 2024, they enter the 2025 season with high expectations. With five core players retained before the auction and a host of new acquisitions, SRH has assembled a well-balanced squad. However, having the right players isn’t enough; it’s about making smart tactical decisions to extract the best from the team.

As they prepare to take the field, here are three key playing XI decisions that SRH must make to maximize their potential in IPL 2025.

1. Where Should Ishan Kishan Bat?

One of SRH’s biggest signings at the IPL 2025 auction was Ishan Kishan, acquired for INR 11.25 crore. Naturally an opener, Kishan finds himself in a team with two established top-order batters in Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. Since both are crucial to SRH’s batting strategy, the team must carefully decide where Kishan fits.

A strategic move would be to place Kishan at No. 4, balancing the left-hand-right-hand combination in the middle order. With Nitish Kumar Reddy expected to take the No. 3 slot, having Kishan follow him ensures better matchups and stability. Kishan has prior experience in the middle order, having played 23 IPL innings at No. 4, where he has scored 594 runs at an average of 28.28 with a strike rate of 129.97, including three half-centuries. Given his aggressive approach and ability to accelerate, this role could help him play the anchor-finisher hybrid role for SRH.

2. Utilizing Abhinav Manohar as a Pace-Hitter

In the lower middle order, SRH has options like Sachin Baby and Abhinav Manohar, but based on recent form, Manohar should be the preferred choice. His ability to take on fast bowlers makes him an ideal candidate to provide a late-innings flourish.

Manohar showcased his hitting prowess in the Maharaja T20 Trophy, where he amassed 550 runs in just 11 innings at a staggering average of 78.57 and a strike rate of 194.35. He registered six fifties in the tournament, proving his consistency as well. His IPL record also speaks for itself—against pace, he has a blistering strike rate of 152.17 and an excellent balls-per-boundary ratio of 4.38.

At Gujarat Titans, he wasn’t utilized to his full potential, often being shuffled around in the batting order. SRH should avoid that mistake by backing him as their designated finisher, ensuring a reliable Indian batter can handle fast bowlers in the death overs.

3. Deploying Simarjeet Singh as an Impact Player

Simarjeet Singh, who was previously with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), was picked up by SRH for INR 1.50 crore at the auction. With Mohammed Shami, Pat Cummins, and Harshal Patel already leading the pace attack, SRH must determine the best way to integrate Simarjeet into their plans.

Shami will spearhead the attack with the new ball, while Harshal Patel is expected to take on death-over responsibilities. That leaves Cummins as the likely middle-over enforcer. However, a smarter move would be to use Simarjeet as the enforcer in the middle overs, freeing up Cummins to bowl more in the powerplay.

Simarjeet possesses raw pace and can hit the deck hard, which makes him an ideal option to disrupt batters during the middle overs. Since SRH no longer have Bhuvneshwar Kumar, having Cummins operate more in the powerplay while Simarjeet takes charge in the middle could provide SRH with the perfect balance across different bowling phases.

With a formidable squad and a mix of experienced and young talent, SRH has the potential to be one of the strongest teams in IPL 2025. However, tactical decisions—like Ishan Kishan’s batting position, using Abhinav Manohar’s hitting ability, and deploying Simarjeet Singh strategically—will be crucial in determining their success.

If SRH executes these plans wisely, they could be on their way to securing their second IPL title. Fans will be eager to see how these choices unfold as the season progresses.

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