Ahmedabad: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will walk into a do-or-die battle when they face Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 51st match of IPL 2025 at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Friday, with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.
SRH have endured an inconsistent campaign so far, winning only three of their nine matches. Ninth on the points table, the Hyderabad-based franchise must win all their remaining fixtures to stay in contention for a playoff berth. A loss against Gujarat could virtually seal their exit from the tournament.
In stark contrast, Gujarat have enjoyed a strong season, notching up six victories in nine games to sit comfortably in third place. Led by Shubman Gill, GT have displayed allround consistency and are coming into this clash with the confidence of having beaten SRH by seven wickets earlier in the season at Uppal. Gujarat have, in fact, won each of their last four encounters against Hyderabad.
SRH's season has seen bright sparks from Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head at the top, but the lack of consistency in the middle order has cost them dearly. Heinrich Klaasen, Ishan Kishan and Nitish Kumar Reddy have failed to string together substantial scores, although signs of a late revival were evident in the recent match against Chennai Super Kings. Allrounder Aniket Verma has emerged as a key finisher, striking at 161.
Harshal Patel has been SRH’s standout performer with the ball, claiming four wickets for 28 runs in the last game, and now stands as their leading wicket-taker. However, Pat Cummins and Mohammed Shami have struggled to make regular breakthroughs, exposing SRH's bowling fragility.
Gujarat, meanwhile, have built their success on a strong top order and a potent bowling lineup. Sai Sudharsan (456 runs at 50.66) and captain Gill (389 runs at 156.22) have led from the front, with Jos Buttler providing explosive starts. In the middle overs, Gujarat have been anchored by Sherfane Rutherford and Rahul Tewatia, who continue to deliver under pressure.
On the bowling front, the pace duo of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna has been highly effective, having taken a combined 29 wickets. Left-arm spinner Sai Kishore has kept things tight with 12 scalps and an economy of 8.53, while Rashid Khan has gradually rediscovered his rhythm, picking 1/25 and 2/24 in his last two outings.
The match will be played under clear skies with temperatures expected to hover in the high 30s. The pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium is expected to favour batsmen early on, with some assistance for pacers and slower bowlers later in the innings. Three of the four matches played here this season have been won by teams batting first. The average first innings score at this venue in IPL 2025 is 173, with Punjab Kings holding the season's highest total of 243/5 against GT.
Both sides are likely to opt to bat first, keeping recent trends in mind.
With Gujarat unbeaten against Hyderabad in their last four meetings, and SRH under mounting pressure, the hosts will start firm favourites. However, SRH's explosive top order and improved death bowling suggest they may still have a twist or two left in their season.
Match begins at 1930 IST.
Predicted XIs:
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Sherfane Rutherford/Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna. Impact: Ishant Sharma.
