Sunrisers Hyderabad will take on Punjab Kings in the 27th match of IPL 2025 season. The game will be held on Saturday evening, April 12, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. So far, SRH have won only one match. As a result, they sit at the bottom of the points table. Therefore, Pat Cummins and his team must find winning form quickly. Otherwise, their chances of making the playoffs will fade away.

Batting Remains SRH’s Weakest Link

SRH’s batters have failed in the last two matches. First, they got bowled out for 120 while chasing 200 against Kolkata Knight Riders. Then, in their next match, they scored only 152 runs while batting first against Gujarat Titans. As expected, GT chased the target comfortably and won by seven wickets.

Despite having a strong squad, SRH have lost four games in a row. Moreover, their biggest concern is the failure of star players—especially the opening pair. This has put pressure on the rest of the batting lineup.

SRH Keep Adjusting Their Playing XI

In response to their poor form, SRH have tried new combinations. They replaced Abhinav Manohar with Kamindu Mendis to strengthen the batting. However, this move left out Adam Zampa, which weakened the bowling attack.

Now, as they return to Hyderabad, SRH must trust their batters to perform. On the other hand, Punjab Kings arrive with a powerful batting unit. Hence, SRH may consider adding an extra bowler to balance the team.

Eventually, SRH’s batting must click. If it does, they can challenge even a strong team like PBKS.

Punjab Kings Ride a Wave of Momentum

Meanwhile, Punjab Kings are full of confidence. They crushed Chennai Super Kings in their last game at Chepauk. Debutant Priyansh Arya played a brilliant knock. He hit a blazing century and led Punjab to a total of 219 runs. Although Conway, Dube, and Dhoni fought hard for CSK, they could not chase the target.

So far, Punjab have found good balance. In every match, someone different has stepped up. Notably, they have six points from four games. And they have done this without much help from Glenn Maxwell or Marcus Stoinis. Their strong Indian core has carried the team. From aggressive openers to Shashank Singh’s finishing skills, PBKS have impressed across the board.

PBKS Likely to Stick with Winning Formula

As things stand, Punjab are unlikely to make major changes. Instead, they may use the impact player rule to adjust based on conditions. For instance, they might play Yash Thakur again or try another bowler if needed.

Given the chance to climb the points table, Shreyas Iyer’s team will be eager to grab another win. Moreover, they will want to make life tougher for struggling SRH.

Pitch Report

The pitch at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has slowed down this season. Head coach Daniel Vettori has already raised concerns about it. Consequently, batting has not been easy here. Because dew may play a role, teams could choose to bowl first. In these conditions, a total of 180 or more can be very competitive.

Probable Playing XI's

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH): Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Pat Cummins (c), Harshal Patel, Zeeshan Ansari, Mohammed Shami, Adam Zampa
Impact Player: Based on match situation

Punjab Kings (PBKS): Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Lockie Ferguson
Impact Player: Yash Thakur or a bowling option