From a batting perspective, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are often viewed as one of the most intimidating sides in the Indian Premier League, yet their beginning to the 2026 campaign has been anything but smooth. After playing three matches, SRH have managed just one win, with two losses on the record. As the squad’s performances come under scrutiny, one issue that stands out is the relative lack of experience in their bowling group. With Pat Cummins still not available for selection, the bowling plans have inevitably taken a hit. Still, SRH wicket-keeper batter Heinrich Klaasen believes the batting unit has played a major role in the early setbacks.
Klaasen points to batting shortfall
Speaking in response to a question from NDTV, Klaasen said the top concern has been the team’s failure to reach the scores they were targeting in the opening stretch of the season. In the first three games, he claimed SRH were roughly 40 runs short of where they needed to be. He also highlighted that Cummins has not yet been deemed fit, while Brydon Carse has been ruled out after sustaining an injury from a blow to his hand. Those circumstances have forced the franchise to lean on younger and less seasoned bowlers to deliver, but Klaasen insisted that does not fully explain the outcomes.
Even with those selection challenges, Klaasen was clear that the defeats cannot be pinned only on the bowling lineup. He argued that the batters, too, did not consistently set the right totals, leaving the bowlers with too much to do in the matches that went against SRH.
“I think we have messed up about 40 runs over the last three games, so there is still a lot of work for our batters to do. Obviously, if you miss a player like Pat Cummins in any team or any format, that is a big loss,” Klaasen said.
Klaasen made the remarks during JioStar Press Room ahead of TATA IPL 2026 – Rivalry Week, which runs from 12th to 18th April.
Experience in bowling, but execution with the bat
The South African wicket-keeper batter also addressed the impact of Carse’s absence, explaining that losing him after he was struck on the hand disrupted the team’s planning. Still, Klaasen maintained that the rest of the group is well stocked with experience, particularly in the pace department. He noted that in the two matches where SRH struggled, the pitch and conditions offered some assistance to the bowlers—but the batting side did not carry out the plans they had set for themselves.
“Losing Brydon Carse as well, after he got hit on the hand, really did not help our plans either. However, the rest of the group is super experienced, especially our pace department. The wickets have been good in the two games where we struggled, we simply did not execute with the bat like we wanted to,” he added.
SRH’s batting-first philosophy
Klaasen then laid out SRH’s overall approach. In his view, the job of the batting unit is to consistently post a competitive total in the range of 220 to 230 runs in every match. Once that target is reached, the bowlers are given a realistic platform to defend. For that reason, he pushed back on the idea that the bowling side is simply “weak.”
“It is easy to say our bowlers lack experience or are under the pump, but in the two games we lost, the batters left about 20 to 30 runs on the board. When we played KKR, we put enough runs on the board and that is our job. We need to reach that 220 or 230 mark, as that is why we set up the team the way we did, to give our bowlers a proper chance of defending,” he concluded.
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