Udaipur, May 7, 2025: Sunrisers Hyderabad still have three matches left in the tournament. But now, it's all just a formality. Hyderabad has been officially eliminated from this year’s IPL as of tomorrow. This has turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the season!

Before the tournament began, no one would have thought that Hyderabad, despite building such a strong team, wouldn’t even be in the race for the playoffs. But that’s cricket—an unpredictable game! Still, there are some clear cricketing reasons behind Hyderabad’s early exit. Let’s take a look at them.

1. Travis-Abhishek Duo Stayed Silent

Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head could not repeat their magic from last season. In the previous IPL, they scored at a rate of 13.21 runs per over and gave Hyderabad strong starts with an average opening stand of 50 runs. Together, they smashed 74 sixes. That's why Hyderabad retained them for ₹14 crore. But this time, they failed to deliver. After 11 matches, the pair has hit only 26 sixes and has not built any big partnerships.

2. No Plan B

Hyderabad's entire batting strategy was built around Abhishek and Head. The idea was for them to attack from the start. But the team had no backup plan in case these two failed. If the management had thought of an alternative, it wasn't visible on the field.

3. ' Klaasen,' Turned Gentle

Heinrich Klaasen, known for his aggressive batting, looked under pressure this season. He scored 311 runs at a strike rate of 153.96. While the strike rate seems decent, it's low by Klaasen's standards. He didn’t play a single match-winning innings. In the three matches Hyderabad won, two wins came through centuries from Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma. In the third match, everyone contributed, while Klaasen was dismissed for just 7 runs against Chennai.

4. Ishan Kishan and Mohammed Shami Flopped

Ishan Kishan was bought for ₹11 crore and Mohammed Shami for ₹10 crore. But both were complete flops. Kishan scored only 196 runs in the season, including a single unbeaten century. Shami took just 6 wickets in 9 matches and gave away over 11 runs per over. He was even dropped from the playing XI in the match against Delhi.

5. Poor Reading of Pitch Conditions

Last year, the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad was known for high-scoring matches—200+ totals were seen in 7 out of 12 innings. This season, teams scored 200+ only 4 times in 11 innings. Coach Daniel Vettori admitted that the pitch was more bowling-friendly this time. Hyderabad’s players failed to adjust to the changed conditions. That failure cost them dearly.