"I thought the 4 metros were the best places to play for Ishan Kishan" - Aakash Chopra on SunRisers Hyderabad's potential top-order issue in IPL 2025
Former India player Aakash Chopra reckons the SunRisers Hyderabad's (SRH) acquisition of Ishan Kishan might create a top-order issue for the franchise in IPL 2025. He opined that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Mumbai Indians (MI), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) might have been the best franchises for the wicketkeeper-batter.
SRH bought Kishan for ₹11.25 crore at the IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The IPL 2024 finalists had already retained two established opening batters - Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma - for ₹14 crore apiece heading into the mega auction.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener pointed out that Kishan might have to bat out of position for the SunRisers Hyderabad.
"I am seeing a problem at the top. None of us thought they (SRH) would run after Ishan Kishan, but they ran. I thought the four metros were the best places to play for Ishan Kishan - Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata - because the pitches there are very good," he said (5:50).
"The way this boy plays, those pitches would have suited him a lot. Those are not very big grounds as well, and there he would have got the number he wants to bat. All of them needed openers, but he has not gone there. He has gone to Hyderabad. Hyderabad already had two openers. He will have to bat off-position," Chopra added.
Chopra noted that whoever among Head, Abhishek, and Kishan is made to bat at No. 3 will have his stature drastically reduced. He added that the position won't suit any of them, which could be a problem for SRH, especially in the second half of the tournament.
"This team does not have an anchor at all" - Aakash Chopra on SunRisers Hyderabad's other potential batting issue
![Heinrich Klaasen is among the explosive batters in SRH's lineup. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/62dc2-17332857487571-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that the lack of an anchor with the bat could also be a concern for the SunRisers Hyderabad.
"Although it's said that you don't need anchors in T20 cricket, at times when you go to different kind of pitches, especially Chennai - three spinners, Rajasthan - big ground and spin again, they might actually start preparing pitches where the ball starts turning or seaming a little more," he said (7:00).
"Gujarat might make a seaming pitch when you go there so that you neutralize their batting a little. If I am in their opposition, I will prepare a pitch where the contest is not bat vs bat, where the bowlers rule. So you should challenge these one-pattern batters and force them to play a different brand of cricket. That may or may not be possible because this team does not have an anchor at all," Chopra added.
Chopra acknowledged that Kamindu Mendis could play the anchor's role for the SunRisers Hyderabad. However, the analyst added that the Sri Lanka all-rounder might not get a place in the XI. He concluded by saying that SRH's batting is good but unidimensional.