Explosive SRH's powerplay implosions

There's no questioning the incredible, unprecedented levels of powerplay hitting that Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have brought to the IPL since the start of the 2024 season. Their average run rate in that phase of the innings is 11.00, and they have hit 67 sixes in those overs since IPL 2024 - both are the highest in the league.

The flipside is the number of times they have imploded in that phase. They have scored all those quick runs, but they have also lost 39 wickets in 20 innings in that phase, an average of almost two wickets per powerplay. This is also the highest in the league.

Here's a look at all the times SRH have lost three or more wickets in the powerplay in IPL 2024 and IPL 2025 (so far), and how the results have gone in those games.

It was the 23rd match of the season, and, batting first after losing the toss against PBKS, SRH finished the powerplay at 40 for 3. Travis Head fell for 21 in 15 balls, Aiden Markram, the No. 3, for a two-ball duck, and Abhishek Sharma for an 11-ball 16. They got 182. It was enough for a two-run win.

This was a chase, after RCB had put up 206 for 7 courtesy half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar. SRH finished the powerplay on 62 for 4, with Head, Abhishek, Markram and Heinrich Klaasen all gone. They got to 171 for 8 after 20 overs for a 35-run defeat.

In a tournament where 200 was being crossed often, CSK got to 212 for 3 after losing the toss and being asked to bat, Ruturaj Gaikwad leading the way with a 54-ball 98. SRH had to go hard, and they did, but they were out of Head, Anmolpreet Singh and Abhishek by the end of the powerplay, with the scoreboard reading 53 for 3. They were all out for 134 in 18.5 overs, losing by 78 runs.

This was Qualifier 1, pitting the top two teams of the group stage of IPL 2024. SRH, second in the league, won the toss and opted for first strike, but with Mitchell Starc on target, they were 45 for 4 after the powerplay - they were four down after five overs with 39 on the board - with Head, Abhishek, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed gone for a total of 12 runs between them. Rahul Tripathi, the No. 3, scored 55 in 35 balls amid the carnage. They finished on 159. KKR overhauled the target in 13.4 overs for the loss of just two wickets.

SRH still made it to the final, and that was because they won Qualifier 2 against RR despite losing three wickets in the powerplay. The men to fall were Abhishek, Tripathi (for a 15-ball 37) and Markram, but, chiefly because of Tripathi, they had 68 on the board after six overs despite Head struggling to get going. RR's chase never quite got going, and they fell 36 short.

Final. All to play for. Toss - SRH. So far so good. And then Starc, again, with the wickets of Abhishek and Tripathi, and Vaibhav Arora with the wicket of Head, for a first-ball duck. The powerplay ended at 40 for 3. And SRH were bowled out for 113. The chase was easy, done and dusted in 10.3 overs.

They batted out of choice after winning the toss, but were without Abhishek (1), Ishan Kishan (2), Reddy (0) and Head (22) by the end of the powerplay, which ended at 58 for 4. They lasted 18.4 overs and finished with 163 on the board, and DC won by seven wickets with four overs in hand.

This is the match that has led to all the questions around SRH's approach with the bat, their latest loss. On Thursday. They fielded out of choice. And KKR went on to score 200 for 6. In the chase, Head, Abhishek and Kishan were all gone by 2.1 overs, Arora and Harshit Rana getting all the wickets, and 33 for 3 is all they got in the powerplay. In the end, they were 80 short, bowled out for 120 in 16.4 overs.

It was an unusually quiet start from SRH as they got just two runs off the first over. Head's first real aggressive shot ended up in the hands of backward point as Trent Boult got the ball to swing away from him and produce a top edge. Then, Kishan was dismissed in bizarre fashion, walking after he thought he nicked one down leg. Ultra Edge subsequently showed no spike. Abhishek was done by a Boult slower one, and Reddy chipped one to mid-on, leaving SRH reeling at 24 for 4 after the Powerplay.