Ambati Rayudu criticised Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowling performance after their seven-wicket loss to Gujarat Titans.
Former India batter Ambati Rayudu has come down hard on Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowling attack, holding it responsible for the team’s recent slump in IPL 2025. The 39-year-old, speaking after SRH’s seven-wicket defeat to Gujarat Titans on April 6, dismissed the idea that batting failures were the root cause of their troubles.
“I don’t see SRH trying to take wickets. They are just about being defensive and trying to stop batsmen from scoring boundaries,” Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show.
Rayudu, who retired from professional cricket last year, further stressed the importance of picking wickets during the middle overs to win tournaments. “You don’t win the IPL with mediocre middle-overs bowling. You need some really good middle-overs bowlers to pick up those wickets,” he added.
SRH, last year’s finalists, have had a disappointing run so far in the tournament, with just one win from five matches. At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday, they posted a modest 152/8. Despite a few early breakthroughs by Mohammed Shami and Pat Cummins, the rest of the bowling unit failed to build pressure in the middle overs, allowing Gujarat Titans, led by Shubman Gill, to chase down the target comfortably.
Rayudu didn’t hold back in pointing out the lack of wicket-taking options in SRH’s bowling attack. “In the middle overs, they don’t have anybody who can pick up those crucial wickets and put the opposition under pressure,” he said. The former CSK batter also analysed SRH’s batting woes this season. He noted that opposition teams have successfully deployed a full-length bowling strategy to restrict their aggressive batters.
ALSO READ | Harry Brook Named England’s New White-Ball Captain After Jos Buttler Steps Down
“What teams are doing is they’re bowling full to them. Still, these guys are trying to hit over the infield. I think they need to be slightly smart and just hit the gaps because these are half volleys that people are bowling to them,” Rayudu concluded.
According to statistics, SRH have taken only 12 wickets between overs 7 to 16 in IPL 2025. Their average during this phase stands at 41.33 with an economy of 9.92 – the third-worst among all teams this season.
With four losses in five games, SRH now face an uphill task to make it to the playoffs. The Pat Cummins-led side will look to bounce back when they take on Punjab Kings at home on April 12.
