Sometimes you need to adjust your mindset, but SRH have yet to do that.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) familiar troubles with adaptability resurfaced in their crushing defeat to Mumbai Indians (MI), sparking renewed criticism around their one-dimensional batting approach in IPL 2025. The seven-wicket loss in Hyderabad, sealed with 26 balls to spare, was all but decided by the ninth over when SRH had collapsed to 35 for 5 after being asked to bat first.

"At the moment, it's all or nothing," observed Nick Knight on the post-match broadcast. His comment echoed a growing sentiment: SRH’s top-heavy batting strategy, which helped them break records last season, is now faltering on slower pitches—and they’ve struggled to pivot.

"There are times when you have to shift your approach," Knight added. "When plan A isn’t working, there has to be a reset. At the moment, SRH seem to be sticking to one approach, regardless of the conditions or match situation."

Varun Aaron echoed the concerns on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out, noting that batters like Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head continue to rely heavily on aerial hitting. "You don’t have to hit everything in the air. A well-placed four is a quality shot too. On these slower wickets, trying to clear the boundary every ball will get you into trouble."

The lack of a flexible mindset was on full display against MI, with plan B arriving only after the top order had already crumbled. Heinrich Klaasen and Impact Player Abhinav Manohar stitched together a rescue act with a 99-run partnership, but the damage had been done.

Coach Daniel Vettori acknowledged the team’s late adjustment. "We wanted to bowl first. Once we saw the pitch wasn’t as high-scoring as we expected, we tried to build towards 180. But at 24 for 4 after the powerplay, that becomes very difficult."

Knight suggested that a more cautious approach after early wickets could have allowed SRH to use their resources better. "If you’re two down early, maybe you take a beat, build a partnership with someone like Klaasen, and then reintroduce the aggression. That balance is missing right now."

Struggling for a Turnaround

SRH, currently ninth on the table—just above Chennai Super Kings (CSK)—are not mathematically out of the playoff race, but their path is narrowing with six games to go. Vettori pointed to past examples of turnarounds for hope.

"RCB did it last year. Mumbai’s done it multiple times. We just need one strong, collective performance to kickstart that momentum," he said.

That opportunity comes on Friday in a must-win clash against CSK in Chennai—the only team below them in the standings.

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