"It seems like he hasn't come at all after the first match" - Aakash Chopra on SRH's issues ahead of IPL 2025 clash vs DC
Former India player Aakash Chopra has highlighted the SunRisers Hyderabad's (SRH) batting issues ahead of their IPL 2025 clash against the Delhi Capitals (DC). He named Ishan Kishan as one of their batting concerns, pointing out that the No. 3 batter hasn't been among the runs since his swashbuckling century in the franchise's tournament opener against the Rajasthan Royals (RR).
SRH will host DC in Match 55 of IPL 2025 in Hyderabad on Monday, May 5. With six points from 10 games, the last season's runners-up are placed ninth on the points table, and a loss in Monday's game will knock them out of playoff contention.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener noted that SRH haven't yet resolved their batting issues, with Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head rarely firing in tandem and Ishan Kishan enduring a lean run since his century in the season opener.
"Hyderabad are still figuring out. The entire season has passed, and they haven't figured out yet. If Abhishek Sharma scores runs, Travis Head doesn't, or vice versa. Both have scored together in just one match, which came on this ground only. If they fire, it's a good team. If they don't fire, it's a struggle," Chopra said (11:30).
"At No. 3, Ishan Kishan has gone absolutely missing. It seems like he hasn't come at all after the first match. Then they have Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma and Kamindu Mendis. You have lengthened the batting, but it doesn't have the same might. The job won't be done unless the big players score runs," he added.
Despite producing an unbeaten 106-run knock in the SunRisers Hyderabad's IPL 2025 opener against the Rajasthan Royals, Ishan Kishan has aggregated just 196 runs at an average of 24.50 in 10 innings this season. Abhishek Sharma (314) and Heinrich Klaasen (311) are the only SRH players to aggregate more than 300 runs thus far.
"Shami has been very, very lukewarm" - Aakash Chopra on SRH's bowling issues ahead of IPL 2025 clash vs DC
![Mohammad Shami has picked up six wickets at an economy rate of 11.23 in nine innings in IPL 2025. [P/C: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/05/27ac3-17464313098370-1920.jpg?w=500)
Reflecting on the SunRisers Hyderabad's bowling, Aakash Chopra noted that while Mohammad Shami has struggled in IPL 2025, Pat Cummins hasn't been economical either.
"In bowling, let's be very honest, Shami has been very, very lukewarm. He has not been able to make an impact at all. So that is one problem. Jaydev Unadkat is always efficient. Harshal Patel does his job. Pat Cummins has also been expensive this year," he said (12:10) in the same video.
While opining that SRH can beat DC only based on their batting might, the cricketer-turned-commentator picked Axar Patel and company as the favorites for Monday's game.
"So the bowling is not looking very good. If you can beat the opposing team on the back of your batting might, go for it. I feel the scales are tilted towards Delhi," Chopra observed.
The Delhi Capitals beat the SunRisers Hyderabad by seven wickets in the reverse fixture in Visakhapatnam on March 30. They bundled out Pat Cummins and company for 163 and achieved the target with four overs to spare.