IPL 2025: Siraj, Gill and Washington Power GT to Hand SRH Fourth Straight Defeat

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) endured yet another batting collapse—this time on a sluggish, black-soil home pitch—as they slumped to their fourth consecutive loss in IPL 2025. After losing Travishek early in the powerplay, the innings lacked momentum, with the first six only arriving in the 13th over and just one more clearing the ropes after that. Mohammed Siraj was lethal with the new ball, delivering a career-best IPL performance of 4 for 17 to dismantle the SRH top order.

Pat Cummins provided a late spark with an unbeaten 22 off nine balls and later struck early in Gujarat Titans’ (GT) chase by dismissing Jos Buttler for a duck, briefly lifting SRH’s spirits. However, Washington Sundar quickly snuffed out any hopes with a blistering 23 off nine deliveries during the powerplay. Although he wasn’t needed with the ball, Washington’s aggressive knock at No. 4 played a pivotal role in steering GT on a challenging surface. He narrowly missed out on a maiden IPL fifty, but skipper Shubman Gill ensured a smooth finish with a composed 61* off 43 balls, alongside Sherfane Rutherford, guiding GT to a comfortable win.

Siraj Dominates Familiar Foes with Precision and Pace

Mohammed Siraj rekindled his fiery rivalry with Travis Head, one that lit up the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Adelaide just four months ago. In their first T20 face-off since that heated exchange, the contest was short-lived. After Head struck two boundaries off Siraj, the pacer responded emphatically, using his signature wobble-seam delivery to have Head caught at midwicket for just 8.

Abhishek Sharma looked promising with four early boundaries, but Siraj cut his innings short as well, drawing a mistimed shot that looped to mid-on. The dismissal marked Siraj’s 100th IPL wicket and his sixth powerplay scalp of the season—the highest by any bowler so far—boasting an impressive economy of 6.27 in that phase.

Returning at the death, Siraj continued his demolition job, nailing pinpoint yorkers to dismiss both Aniket Verma, SRH’s last recognised batter, and Impact Player Simarjeet Singh, capping off a near-perfect performance.

Rashid Falters Again as Sai Kishore Shines with Subtlety and Skill

It was a tale of two spinners for Gujarat Titans. Rashid Khan, returning from a tough outing where he conceded 54 runs without a wicket, looked to settle into rhythm early. With both Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma back in the pavilion, he had the luxury to ease into his spell. He began well, conceding only 10 runs in his first two overs, but was soon put under pressure as Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen punished his loose deliveries. Rashid ended with figures of 4-0-31-0—his third wicketless outing in a row—taking his tournament tally to 1 for 143 in 14 overs at a steep economy of 10.21.

In stark contrast, R Sai Kishore delivered a clinical spell marked by accuracy and variation. The left-arm spinner broke the Klaasen-Reddy partnership, clean-bowling Klaasen with a skidding delivery that beat him for pace. He later dismissed Reddy, who holed out for 31 off 34, and wrapped up with impressive figures of 4-0-24-2.

Sunrisers Hyderabad managed to cross the 150-run mark, thanks largely to Pat Cummins’ late fireworks. The skipper was the only batter among the top eight to strike at over 160, injecting some fight into an otherwise sluggish batting performance.

Washington’s Surprise Promotion Pays Off in Style

It seemed Gujarat Titans had brought in Washington Sundar primarily for his offspin, aiming to counter Sunrisers Hyderabad’s left-hander-heavy top order. However, with Mohammed Siraj dominating the powerplay and R Sai Kishore expertly managing the middle overs, GT didn’t need to call on Washington’s bowling at all.

Instead, he made a big impact with the bat. Walking in at No. 4 after early blows saw B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler fall in quick succession, Washington reignited memories of his batting prowess from the 2016 TNPL. He took charge in the final over of the powerplay, smashing Simarjeet Singh—his childhood friend and SRH’s Impact Player—for two sixes and two fours, effectively knocking him out of the attack.

Washington’s aggressive intent continued as he creatively dealt with Kamindu Mendis, using his footwork to loft the ambidextrous spinner over extra cover. Just when he seemed destined for a half-century, he holed out in the 14th over, falling one run short.

By then, captain Shubman Gill had already brought up his own fifty and calmly guided GT to victory alongside Sherfane Rutherford, whose explosive 35* off 16 balls sealed the chase in emphatic fashion.

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