The loss of SunRisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first match has raised multiple questions regarding their bowling capabilities. On 28 March 2026, SRH played their first match against RCB at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the IPL opener. During the match, RCB got a comfortable victory while chasing a target of 202 and finished the innings with a victory with six wickets in hand. After the match, multiple questions were asked of the head coach of the Sunrisers Hyderabad campaign, Daniel Vettori.
The questions were raised regarding the form of the SRH opener Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, and the capabilities of their bowler. The SunRisers Hyderabad campaign is also playing their initial matches of IPL without their permanent skipper Pat Cummins. The standing captain of srh Ishan Kishan, played a reliable inning; however, the bowlers are unable to defend even 200.
Statement made by Daniel Vettori
During the post-match interview, the head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Daniel Vettori, said: “I think we understand where the game's gone and how destructive that RCB betting lineup is”. Regarding the poor bowling performance of srh the head coach said “You have to get a good start, which we did against Phil Salt, but then I just think we are weren’t at our best with the ball, we weren’t as disciplined as we needed to be, and we give a lot of scoring opportunities to Virat and particle who played exceptionally well”.
He further said, “I think we learn a lot from how RCB bowlers and what was effective and what wasn't, and obviously we discussed that, but we just we were’nt able to implement that. You don't want to have a rusty performance because of how important every game is in the IPL, particularly how to start”.
Questions at the Batting of SRH
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin recently posted a video on his YouTube channel where he slammed the openers of SRH. The former cricketer stated that Abhishek Sharma must take responsibility and structure the innings rather than play stupid shots to give his wicket. According to Ravichandran Ashwin, the openers of SRH must play patiently and structure the innings rather than just go with the flow.
On his YouTube video, Ravichandran Ashwin said: “SRH lost both the power place. Batting first is always good for SRH. There was a lot of disappointment there because Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma didn't read the Wicket very well”. He further said, “The ball will move around a bit at the Chinnaswamy because there is some moisture in the wicket. If they had taken a bit more time, even if there were 45 or 50-1 in 6 overs, they would have ended up making a bigger score”.
By the end of the power play srh was only able to put up a score of 49 with a loss of 3 wickets. The fall of wickets was sudden, and it ultimately cost the game for SRH because they were not able to put up a score according to the caliber of their bowling lineup.
The poor performance of SRH
Even after putting up a score of 201, the bowlers of SRH struggled throughout the inning. Throughout the second inning, the Sunrisers Hyderabad campaign missed their permanent captain Pat Cummins not because of his captaincy, but because of his bowling skills. All the bowlers of SRH had an economy rate of more than 9.5 throughout the second inning.
The most expensive bowler from the SRH side was Ehsan Malinga, who gave a total of 35 runs in just 2 overs. This individual bowler had an economy of 17.50. Other bowlers like Jaydev Unadkat, Harshal Patel, and Harsh Dubey gave 29, 39, and 35 runs, respectively. The effectiveness of the bowlers was relatively low; only David Payne was able to get two wickets, while Unadkat and Dubey were able to get 1 each.
Conclusion
Overall, the performance of SunRisers Hyderabad was very disappointing, and it was accepted by their head coach. The head coach of the Hyderabad campaign was ready to make multiple changes and is looking to get a fresh start with their match against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. Both KKR and SRH are looking for their first victory in the tournament.
Also Read: CSK in Big Trouble: MS Dhoni Set to Miss IPL 2026 Matches?, Can SRH Really Score 300? Batting Strength vs Bowling Weakness Explained, RCB vs SRH Match Prediction IPL 2026: Who Had the Edge?
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