IPL 2023: Here's what went wrong for Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad will host Royal Challengers Bangalore in match number 65 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. SRH have been knocked out of the playoffs, having lost eight out of 12 games so far. The Orange Army, having managed just four wins, will finish in the bottom half for the second successive season. Here we decode the important numbers.
A look at their journey in IPL 2023
SRH currently hold the ninth spot in the IPL 2023 standings with eight points and a Net Run Rate of -0.575. They started their campaign with two defeats against Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants, respectively. SRH then bounced back with wins over Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. After that, SRH suffered three consecutive defeats, which dented their plight.
Markram yet to go big
South Africa's Aiden Markram was chosen to lead SRH ahead of the season. He claimed the baton after he guided Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the inaugural SA20 title. With 366 runs in 12 games, Markram finished as the third-highest run-getter. However, he couldn't replicate it in IPL 2023. Markram averages just 21.70 this season, having scored 217 in 11 games so far.
Only SRH batter with over 300 runs in IPL 2023
Heinrich Klaasen is the only SRH batter with over 300 runs (326) in IPL 2023 as of now. He averages 46.57 and has struck at a staggering 172.48. The tally includes a couple of half-centuries.
What about the bowler?
Bowling has been one of SRH's weaknesses in the ongoing IPL season. Only Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mayank Markande have taken over 10 wickets for SRH. Notably, Bhuvi took a five-wicket haul in SRH's last encounter against Gujarat Titans. Left-arm seamer Marco Jansen has also been among the wickets but leaked runs at 9.88. His compatriot T Natarajan averages 41.77 with the ball.
SRH haven't finished games
It is worth noting that SRH lost five out of eight games in IPL 2023 while chasing. A look at the losing margins: 72 runs vs RR, 14 runs vs MI, 7 runs vs DC, 5 runs vs KKR, and 34 runs vs GT.
What's next for SRH?
As stated, SRH have been eliminated from the playoffs race. They still have two matches left against RCB and MI, respectively. While RCB can't reach the top four, they can spoil the party for both RCB and MI. Interestingly, the Royal Challengers have won just two out of 10 matches at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, in the IPL.
