All three disciplines haven't been able to click in a game: Vettori

It's been a rude awakening for Sunrisers Hyderabad in this year's IPL. After a successful 2024 season, when they were just a step away from title glory, 2025 has hit all the wrong notes for the franchise. Their seven-wicket defeat to Gujarat Titans on Sunday (April 6) was their fourth loss on the trot and currently, it looks very gloomy for the SRH camp.

Head coach Daniel Vettori was understandably low on energy at the post-match press conference but maintained an air of optimism.

"It's obviously disappointing.The team has high expectations and we haven't put performances together so far," said Vettori.

"I think everyone in the room understands that and it hasn't really been close in the last four games. But obviously the challenge for us is moving forward because every IPL team at some stage goes through a run of losses and now we have a five-daybreak before we play Punjab who's been exceptional so far in the tournament. We need to get ourselves up for that game."

SRH's template for the 2024 season was to outbat their opponents with their outlandish mode of aggression that saw 250-plus scores being scored for fun by them. They also racked up an all-time IPL record by posting 287 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a score they came within a run of, in the first game of this season. The addition of Ishan Kishan to an already enigmatic batting order saw a cracking start with the left-hander smashing a ton against RR in the tournament opener.

However, since then both he and the team has struggled to get going with their gung-ho approach backfiring on most occasions. T20 cricket is about upgrading aggression levels but it also requires a mindset to adjust to the pitches and bowling tactics on offer. While there could be moments of debate on the team's flexibility in previous games, Vettori felt that his side didn't do too much wrong in terms of the basics against GT.

"I think they saw that the wicket was really tough and the assessment coming back was 160-170 would be a good score, which is what we anticipated at the start of the day. So we knew that those guys, if they could get themselves in, build a partnership and then hopefully attack the back end. And we were pretty close to that in the end, we needed 20 more runs to put the pressure on and then obviously bowl really well. But I think their understanding of what was required was spot on."

At the forefront of SRH's early setbacks was their former player and local boy Mohammed Siraj. For the second game running, he breathed fire with the new-ball and took down both openers inside the Powerplay. Travis Head fell to a mistimed flick to short mid-wicket while Abhishek Sharma's attempts to hit his way out of trouble forced a miscue to mid-on. Later on, Siraj came back at the death and dislodged Aniket Verma who was threatening to give SRH a decent finish. Vettori was all praise for his opposition's star act.

"I mean he (Siraj) bowled incredibly well. He obviously summed up conditions perfectly, understood that he had to hit the stumps the whole time. Rarely was he too short and he attacked us relentlessly and I think he did a fantastic job. Anytime you take four for 14, think it was, 17, it puts your team on the front foot. So his assessment of conditions then obviously his execution was exceptional tonight."

It may not be alarm bells just yet but four losses in five games does call for introspection of some order. Contrast this to the 2024 season when they never lost more than two games on the bounce. It also helped their cause that the pitches across the country last year were unimaginably good for batting and powerhitting. This season, the tracks have more or less veered back to their usual nature and Hyderabad also hasn't been the usual batting belter apart from the opening game. Vettori, though, isn't willing to throw the towel in and is confident that his captain wouldn't either.

"It's probably slow. This is glacial, maybe, in terms of starts. I don't think Pat's ever panicked in his life and I think I'm pretty similar. But we understand the ramifications of losing four in a row and how difficult it makes the season. And it's tough because obviously you come into the season with high expectations after last year and then a very good start.

"We just haven't been near our best in any of the last four games. And I think that's all three disciplines. I think the barometer of most teams is how their fielding is going and we've been pretty poor in the field. So those will be the work-ons between now and the Punjab game. And we know that if we can get on a roll, then we're still a very good team. We're just not performing the way that we should be."

When compared to the highs of last year, SRH's batting efforts have been underwhelming so far. After their jaw-dropping performance against RR when they smashed 286 and the next game where they under-performed but still got 190-plus, the side hasn't gone past 175 in the next three games. It has meant additional pressure on a bowling unit that is largely defensive by nature. With the big totals not coming, Pat Cummins and co haven't been able to assert themselves as much as they'd have liked.

"I mean, I hate to say it, but it's probably been, like I said, it's all been all three disciplines haven't been able to click in a game. We look back to last year and our skills were putting big scores on and then sort of holding on for dear life with the ball. But we haven't been able to put those big scores together through a combination of things. But the good thing about the IPL is there's quick turnarounds, there's opportunities to do well and there's individual performances within those games. So I think there's still some confidence within the batting group, but it's the collective that needs to stand up now."

As the pitches haven't consistently aided powerhitting this season, Vettori knows that SRH will need to be more adaptable in their approach at the top of the order. Head, Abhishek and Kishan make for an intimidating top-three that can gun down any bowling attack but right now, it's the trio that is facing the heat. Kishan did look in decent touch against GT but wasn't able to kick on. The overall picture does look blurred right now but Vettori hopes to see more of the blueprint that was used against the Titans, perhaps with a bit more poise.

"I think the big thing for us is around assessing conditions. And the conditions were really tough tonight. I mean, this wasn't a typical Hyderabad wicket. It was pretty slow. And we knew before we started that that 160-170 score was what we were after. And I thought that the way that, I mean, particularly Ishan, I thought he navigated the powerplay pretty well, was able to score and play some good shots.

"So I think we know the style that's going to work, but we have to respect conditions and we have to assess really well. And that's probably something we haven't done as well. And also have to respect how well other teams are bowling, putting a lot of planning into our top three. And they've been able to execute at times."