Former IPL chairman and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla reflects on Sunrisers Hyderabad’s crushing defeat against Gujarat Titans, questioning the batting style that led to their dramatic collapse in Ahmedabad.GT produced a dominant all-round performance to register a resounding 82-run win and climb to the top of the IPL 2026 points table. After being asked to bat first, Gujarat posted 5/168 thanks to Sai Sudharsan’s 61 and Washington Sundar’s crucial half-century.In reply, SRH’s explosive batting line-up failed miserably and were bundled out for just 86 runs in 14.5 overs. Gujarat’s bowling attack completely destroyed Hyderabad. Jason Holder And Kagiso Rabada. Got three wickets.
After the match, Rajeev Shukla posted an interesting response to X, criticizing SRH’s overly aggressive batting mentality despite chasing a manageable total.“When only 160 runs are not made, then as soon as it comes, you lose the victek can by praying for the wheels” – Shukla wrote on X.(“Why lose wickets trying to hit sixes from the start when you only have to score 160?”)A target of 169 in T20 cricket is generally considered a worthy target, especially for a batting line-up consisting of power hitters Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Henrik Klaasen. However, SRH’s trademark attacking approach backfired badly against Gujarat’s disciplined bowling attack.
Poll
Should SRH change their batting strategy for future matches?
Despite the heavy defeat SRH head coach Daniel Vettori defended his batting unit and called the performance an unusual off-day rather than a major problem.“We knew we needed a strong start and unfortunately we weren’t able to get that tonight,” Vettori said after the match. “If Gujarat had scored 200, the chase would have been very difficult, but at 169 we believed we had a chance.”He added that the team stuck to its aggressive philosophy and refused to blame the batsmen for a poor outing.“Our batting group has been phenomenal all season. Every team in the IPL goes through a little bit of a slump at some stage, and tonight was ours. We are very aware of how we want to play and the conditions we are facing,” Vettori concluded.
