Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins expressed disappointment over his team’s performance following an 80-run defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 15 of the IPL 2025 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The loss marked SRH’s third consecutive defeat in the tournament, leaving them at the bottom of the points table.
KKR, playing their first home game of the season, posted an imposing total of 200/6, thanks to stellar performances by Venkatesh Iyer (60 off 29 balls) and Rinku Singh (32* off 17 balls). Despite early setbacks, KKR’s middle-order resurgence proved too strong for SRH’s bowlers, who struggled to contain runs in the death overs.
Cummins, in the post-match presentation, highlighted fielding lapses and underwhelming batting as key reasons for the defeat. “It wasn’t a great night. We thought the target was gettable on a good wicket, but we left too many runs in the field and fell short with the bat,” he remarked. He also emphasized the need for introspection, stating, “Three games in a row it hasn’t come off for us. We need to reassess our approach and consider better options.”
SRH’s chase faltered early, with the team reduced to 9/3 within three overs. Varun Chakravarthy (3/22) and Vaibhav Arora (3/29) dismantled SRH’s batting lineup, restricting them to just 120 runs in 17 overs. Heinrich Klaasen (33 off 21 balls) and Kamindu Mendis (27 off 20 balls) were the only batters to show some resistance.
Cummins also addressed the decision to exclude leg-spinner Adam Zampa, explaining that the conditions did not favor spin. “We only bowled three overs of spin; the ball wasn’t gripping for us. So, we opted to go without him,” he clarified.
Despite the setback, Cummins maintained a forward-looking approach, urging his team to regroup and focus on upcoming matches. “It’s a long tournament, and we need to stay realistic and work on our shortcomings,” he concluded.
With this victory, KKR moved to the fifth spot on the points table, while SRH faces mounting pressure to turn their campaign around. Stay tuned for further updates on IPL 2025.
