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Graham Gooch: The Dark Knight of World Cups

Sidharth Basu
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Graham Gooch: The Dark Knight of World Cups

Winning; the primary motive for the majority, if not all, of the kids who pick up a bat or a ball while aspiring to represent their respective nations. As Gautam Gambhir keeps on repeating nowadays, the first daydream that all budding cricketers watch is to lift the World Cup, the ultimate glory in our sport. Even we, the fans, are highly result-oriented.

 The process is more important than the result

One of the most popular and exceptional Indian cricketers, Mahendra Singh Dhoni believes

Ironically, his biggest legacy within the 22 yards amongst his own fans is his 3 ICC trophies and 5 IPLs.

And I am not criticising this kind of outlook on the sport. At the end of the day, we all want our respective teams, the ones we play for or support, to triumph in all the tournaments they take part in. However, the question is whether we should extend the same outlook while comparing two individuals within a team game like cricket. Cricket, as many call it, the only individual team-sport in the world, is still technically a team sport, a result which depends upon the 22 individuals who take the field. Certain cricketers keep on gracing the world stage who impact this very result more than an average cricketer; however, the entire outcome is seldom solely in their hands. In that case, is it fair to give extra credit to player A just because his team won more than the team player B played for?

Well, this is one side of the story, presenting my views on this topic. I am pretty sure the other school of thought also possesses strong arguments in its favour. The subject of today’s article revolves around the World Cup exploits of Player B, a player who took part in 3 ODI World Cups and won 3 runners-up medals.

The most prolific run-getter across 146 years of competitive cricket, Graham Gooch’s World Cup career is a caricature of the tragic hero archetype. A trope that is universal in its appeal, even in modern-day art, if one indeed presented the following outcomes in the form of fiction, odds are that their work would have been critiqued for being too cliché. To start off, it’s a tragedy in itself that Gooch was part of just 3 CWC campaigns despite his ODI career spanning over 20 years. His first one-day was 12-months after the inaugural tournament, whereas his last one-day was 12-months prior to the 96’ campaign. In-between these, he also missed the 1983 World Cup due to his ban from international cricket owing to his participation in the rebel tours. Thus, his first tragic tryst with triumph came in ’79.

The percentage of the actual impact of the performances that statistics provide differs from case-to-case and Gooch’s ODI exploits is amongst the cases where the least amount of justice is served. Possessing one of the most underrated knock catalogues of the format, the above sentiment only gets amplified when the focus is isolated around the World Cup, specifically the first out of today’s 3 tournaments.

210 runs @52.5 with a modest strike rate of 63.82; such numbers look commendable, but 4 batters from the West Indies itself overshadow these raw figures. Thus comes the role of additional context. Gooch was the top scorer in 5 of England’s 6 games while being an outlier in terms of run-scoring. His scoring rate was 1.36 times the strike rate of his fellow English batters.

He started the series with a half-century against Ashes rivals, a rather slower one, but it ensured that England saw off a 160-run chase. In the next game, Gooch once again top-scored in yet another modest chase of 45 against Canada. The last league stage bout had higher stakes than an ordinary dead-rubber since the winner got to avoid West Indies for one extra day. Gooch found himself at the crease in the 3rd over itself despite batting at number 4. On the backdrop of the carnage caused by the new-ball duo of Imran-Bakht, Gooch played one of his slowest limited-overs innings, scoring 33 off 90 deliveries. Yet, only Asif Iqbal scored more (51 off 104), and given the fact that 165 was defended in this match, one can make a rough estimate of the batting conditions. So far, the ’79 run captures the man’s public persona; solid and efficient, yet not the first name which pops up when the adjective ‘best’ is brought up.

The semi-final saw Gooch squaring off against yet another fearsome new-ball duo of Hadlee-Troup, and once again, his arrival was premature at 38/2. Brearley retreated to his usual shell while the other batters surrendered against the 5-man pace attack, but Gooch was playing his finest knock at the grandest stage.

71 runs off just 84 deliveries, the knock consisted of 3 sixes. For context, the rest of the England team struck 2 maximums in the entire tournament. Despite this, the more impressive feat of that day was how Gooch maintained the anomalous strike rate of 84 while scoring nearly 50 runs through running. A knock which was a sneak peek into the future of limited-overs batting blueprint, England’s bowlers closed out the game, and England progressed.

The magic of both Kings is a well-documented folklore, but the absurdity of the 2nd innings deserves attention as well. Till the final, Gooch’s entry points were as follows:

  • 5/2 vs Australia
  • 11/2 vs Canada
  • 4/2 vs Pakistan
  • 38/2 vs New Zealand

Hence, it is tragically comedic that while chasing 287 in the most important game of his career till then, Gooch got to enter way too far at the 40th over, yet the scoreboard was stuck at a total of 135. No one knows what the great mind of Mike Brearley was thinking, but it meant the Cup had gone out of our protagonist’s grasp. A cameo of 32(28) deserves appreciation given the quality of the opposition, but the knock was largely inconsequential. The first tryst ended in a longing heartache.

Gooch’s 1979 campaign remains overlooked, but nature loves symmetry, and his next run is much more revered despite having larger imperfections. He was the highest run-getter of the tournament, scoring 471 runs @58.87 with a strike rate of 70.29. However, Lamb and Gatting, two of his teammates themselves, had arguably outbatted him throughout the series. He had a rough start to his campaign, struggling in both the games against Pakistan, but the Sri Lanka games got his tour back on track, and a 92 against the Windies saw both England and Gooch progress through to the semi-finals.

There are very few knocks which have elevated themselves to be synonyms of a particular batting shot, which has its own rich history. Gooch’s century in the semis is amongst this elite roster. Squaring off against the hosts as well as the pre-tournament favourites, Gooch is famously known to have swept Maninder Singh and Co. out of the tournament. His 115 runs were enough for his 3rd Man-of-the-Match award in the series, and a second date with glory was set-up.

Only twice had a team chased over 250 in World Cup games prior to the final, and Australia had set up a target of 254. Having lost his opening partner for a duck, Gooch had a cautious start, scoring 25 off his first 50 balls. England was looking to accelerate, but O’Donnell struck the pads plumb, and Gooch’s struggle terminated. England collapsed with the focal point being Gatting’s ill-fated reverse sweep, and a 2nd runners-up medal was added to Zap’s cabinet.

Gooch is the standard cricketing analogy when it comes to the idiom, “aged like fine wine”. He received England captaincy at the age of 35, played his last international at the age of 42 and scored his test runs @51.56 in the last 5 years of his career! However, things were the exact opposite in the secondary format of those days. Since ascending captaincy in 1988 to his retirement in 1995, Gooch’s average dropped from 42.46 to 31.32, and his strike-rate declined from 68 to a meagre 55! Amidst this free-fall arrived the last call for coronation.

Two half-centuries in the first two games nurtured expectations, but Gooch’s terrible form persisted, with him scoring 216 runs throughout the tournament at an inexcusable scoring rate of 51.43. Although, he had an additional responsibility of captaincy in his 3rd World Cup.

Be it reinstating Botham, who went on to be England’s leading wicket-taker as well as eccentrically promoting him to opening or backing Carl Lewis for the number 7 position where he played crucial cameos at a strike-rate of 156, Gooch was seen more as an inspiring leader than an astute tactician, but he had more hits than misses with his strategic calls in the Australian summer. Tumbling through a path laced with natural calamity and controversy, England and Gooch reached yet another World Cup final. The once anticipated tryst had now morphed into a tense entanglement.

Graham’s first ace of reinstating Pringle with the new-ball worked wonders, but an Imran-Miandad partnership kept the equation balanced. However, England’s lacklustre form with old-ball came to bite them back. Pakistan scored 153 runs in the last 20 overs, and Gooch’s men had to chase yet another 250-run target. The chase started terribly, but a shimmer of optimism lasted as long as the experience of Gooch endured upon the crease.

Mushtaq Ahmed, the premier bowler of the tournament, bowled a conventional leggie around the middle-stump. With the equation now standing at run-a-ball, Gooch made the unwise yet common decision of targeting the leggie. Attacking the longer square boundary, Gooch’s famous sweep found the palms of Aqib Javed during the motion of Pakistan’s most iconic piece of fielding.

Gooch’s ODI career has been lost amongst the many other greats who have trodden onto the 22 yards since his retirement. Alas, present and future glory is destined to evade this silent guardian of 80s ODIs.

From Fire to Flicker: The Fall of West Indies Batting

Sidharth Basu
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From Fire to Flicker: The Fall of West Indies Batting

Even 500 years after its demise, the Roman Empire continues to exert its impact on modern civilisation as well as current-day pop culture. As much as their legacy pertains to glory, “The Fall of Rome” is one of the most popular phrases across history classes. Well, the link to the above facts with our sport is the West Indies national team. A side which did not lose a single test series from 1980 to 1994, the only away series wins of the Windies in the 21st century have come against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Thus, possessing a heritage like the Romans, there’s another analogy which can be drawn between both Relics.

When the topic arises about the cause of collapse, amateur enthusiasts cite the Barbaric Invasions and military inadequacies but often overlook the in-depth aspects such as slave labour or currency chaos within the Empire. Similarly, we are all aware of the administrative mishaps of the Windies Cricket Board but choose to ignore the fact that logically the Men in Maroon are always going to be at a disadvantage. A union for the Caribbean Islands, West Indies, virtually functions solely for cricket. Combined with globalisation, which has opened pathways to different sports, the youngsters of the region have neither the financial nor the sentimental incentive to toil hard for 5 consecutive days. Well, if I try to force the contrast of the “overhyped v/s overlooked”, the modern perception of the team’s bowling and batting contingent with respect to the team’s decline in tests is a good candidate.

Clive Lloyd’s men were a well-oiled machine, but bowling was the jewel of this crown. Most attacks would fall pale on a comparison against the Horseman, followed by Ambrose-Walsh, but the current Windies bowling line-up at the very least carries hope with them. On one hand, Jayden Seales has had such a terrific start that only Rabada and Lohmann have picked more Test wickets at a better strike-rate than him. Whereas on the other hand, Shamar Joseph has recently starred in one of the iconic red-ball moments of this decade. Even Alzarri Joseph seems to have adjusted himself to the longer format. Unfortunately, the radiance of hope loses its glimmer when we focus on the team’s batsmen, which indeed is our focus for today.

George Headley is arguably the first cricketing superstar of the region, who was succeeded by the 3 Ws. Then came Sobers, who is arguably the biggest superstar of the sport. We then had Richards and Lara, who are worthy competitors for the tag of the best, whereas Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul went on to build their own reputations in the longest format. Not only has this rich line of World-Class batters been torn apart by the current corp, the batting-unit of today’s West Indies is amongst the worst in 150 years of international cricket.

West Indies averages 22.03 with the bat in this decade. Not only is this the worst amongst the 12 test-playing nations of today, but only 5 other teams have had a worse figure in the last 100 years, which comes down to 2 if you remove the teams that made their debut in the respective decade. Numerous such atrocious analyses exist, but the naked eye is itself capable of judging the sorry state of WI batting. Take the example of the most recent series of theirs. Hosting Australia, surely the pitches provided were a seamers’ paradise, but the West Indies did not even come close to competing in any of the three 4th innings chases. Additionally, the last innings of the above series witnessed one of the most humiliating standpoints of the sport’s biggest entertainers. Set to chase 204 runs, West Indies were reduced to 11-6! With mercy from Konstas, the team dragged themselves to 27 runs, narrowly missing New Zealand’s record of 26 set in 1955. As a consequence, the CWI president has officially announced an emergency meeting, but one wonders if the meeting is too little too late for redemption and is rather a requiem for the once greats who have been invited to the gathering.

The highest run-getters list for the national team in the past 10 years provides an interesting case-study. At number 2, we have Jason Holder, who is probably categorised by the majority as a bowling all-rounder. One of the few T20 talents who chose to grind it out in the test format, Holder ascended captaincy in only his 9th match and seemed to be the precious drop in a barren land. Holder is amongst the three double centurions for his team within the period. Well then, where was he in the above-mentioned series? 4000 kilometres away in Los Angeles, playing a dead-rubber in the recently concluded MLC. Holder was sacked from captaincy in 2021 and subsequently made the decision to prioritise leagues over international games in 2023.

One of the other double-centurion, Kyle Mayers, followed suit and refused a central contract in 2023. Having one of the out-and-out greatest debuts; Kyle Mayers starred in a 395-run chase on a day 5 Bangladesh pitch by scoring 210 after coming in at 59/3. He could not live up to this promise in subsequent games, averaging only 25 in the next 17 games, but his bowling was unearthed. 34 wickets @18.29, only 7 proper all-rounders possess a better average difference than that of Mayer’s 14.43. Yet, he hasn’t played a test in the last 24 months. The 3rd person to have crossed the 200 mark is Tangerine Chanderpaul. Son of a legend, he averaged 40 in his debut series, which came down-under. However, underperformance against the top 3 teams of the previous WTC cycle, accompanied by a quiet domestic season, was enough for him to get axed. His replacement is Mikyle Louis, the first Test cricketer from St Kitts. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to carry on his golden form from domestic cricket and averages 18.45 in his 10 games, the same number of matches as that of the one whom he replaced.

Only two people average more than Tangerine’s 32.94 in our aforementioned 10-year filter. One of them is Carlos Braithwaite, who played a total of 3 test matches. The other batter is Nkrumah Bonner. The leading batter of the national side in his debut year of 2021, chief-selector Desmond Haynes remarked that they looked forward to having him back for the India series in 2023 after dropping him from the squad. Well, it has been 2 years since then, and Bonner is yet to play his 16th test, and with him being 36 years old, the tally might stay there forever.

I first saw a 24-year-old Shane Dowrich in the 2016 series against India, where he valiantly partnered up with current captain Roston Chase to save a lost match. Hence, I am not surprised that he has the 3rd most centuries for WI since his debut while being a first-choice wicketkeeper. In fact, only Jeff Dujon has a higher average than Dowrich’s 29.07 amongst all Windies keepers (min 1K runs). However, I am certainly dismayed that Dowrich had to retire by 2023 owing to personal health issues. In his penultimate match, Dowrich suffered an injury, which led to Joshua Da Silva being called upon as his substitute. The latter would go on to make his full-fledged debut later that year. Like his predecessor, Da Silva’s batting statistics do not stand out, but both of them made difficult runs, were astute glovesmen and loved to make runs against England. It might feel weird as to why am I talking in the past tense, given he is only 27 years old, but he was dropped recently by the Darren Sammy regime, and you can never be sure about anything in Caribbean Cricket over the last few years.

You might be wondering then, which batsmen are part of the side right now? Well, leading the way is ex-captain Kraigg Brathwaite. The poster-boy of the most torrid period of the WI Test team, he recently completed the milestone of 100 test matches. Making his debut in 2011 as a teenager, Kraigg has seen all the troughs and the minimal crests in these 15 years. He has scored 4,596 runs in the last 10 years, which is more than 2x the 2nd highest. Despite memorable centuries in 3 of the SENA nations, Brathwaite has arguably the most mediocre record in the 100 matches club. One can never deny the fact that he has been the brightest beacon for his team, but has he shone bright enough to be amongst the world’s best?

Other than that, you have captain Chase and Shai Hope, who are 3rd and 5th on the list, respectively. Both made their comebacks in the series against Australia. I do think both of them can be good Test cricketers, given that Chase also performs the duty of a spinner, whereas Hope dons the gloves, yet their batting average of 25 does not back up my claims. The same can be said for younger talents, Alick Athanze and Keacy Carty.

Pretty much all cricket fans hope for a revival of the West Indies. All of us want to see the sport reach a new audience, and it feels disappointing when an existing foothold is slowly eroding in front of us. Yet, we hope for a miracle. We hope for a messiah. Shamar or Seales can play that role in the bowling front, but one of the batters needs to step-up.

The Timeline of Keeper-Batters

Sidharth Basu
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The Timeline of Keeper-Batters

The period after 2018 in Tests is often referred to as the pace pandemic, but there is also another cricketing class who are blossoming as brightly as they ever have in the past 150 years of red-ball cricket.

A few days ago, England found themselves reeling at 84/5, trailing by 500 odd runs when 24-year-old Jamie Smith prodded onto the crease. What followed was an exposition of ego, endurance and exquisite shot-selection at the Edgbaston stadium, which terminated with Jamie stranded at 184(207)*. Simultaneously, a few kilometres across the Atlantic Ocean, we had his ashes rival Alex Carey carrying out his recent routine, top-scoring for his side after coming at 110/5, in addition to his half-century in the first test which came in a similar situation. Furthermore, a few weeks earlier; we had Pant putting in one of the most dominant batting performances of the recent past, securing twin centuries at Headingley. However, please don’t come under the delusion that such events are a mere coincidence of luck. The current cream of wicket-keeper batsmen across the international circuit is arguably the finest that we have seen.

The evolution of the general expectation pointed towards wicket-keepers with respect to their keeping and batting skills, individually, is a well-known journey in cricketing circles. Starting with the pre-WW1 days, given the nature of pitches combined with greater workload, players with the gloves were seen specifically as specialists behind the wicket yet an average keeper was a better batter than an average bowler. The individual who served as the figure of revolution was Les Ames, the first designated wicket-keeper to average above 40 at a time when the second-best figure stood at 30.21. Hence, the jump in numbers from the 20s to the 30s in the below graphic.

Things stood stable up until the 2000s, which became the decade synonymous with the tag of flat-tracks and also saw outliers Adam Gilchrist and Andy Flower, who broadened the horizon of keeper-batters being out-and-out, the best batters, irrespective of additional context. The 2020s don’t seem to be an anomaly but considering the circumstance of the global average being at its lowest since 1950, the fact that the current period has the highest aggregate amongst keepers is amusing at the very least. Even so, the reason for this article isn’t the average modern-day international keeper-batter. Rather, it’s about the finest ones.

Unarguably, the best of the corps is jersey number 17. People at times overlook Saha when it comes to the transition from Dhoni to Pant. In the initial days of Rishabh’s career, the ancient debate of whether to go with the better keeper or the better batter was the area of focus up until as recently as the first test of the 20/21 BGT which oversaw one of the most embarrassing moments for the Indian batting lineup as well as the christening of a new era.

At the current moment, the question is not about whether he is the best WKB from India; rather it’s about where he ranks amongst the greats. From a purely batting perspective, only Gilly, Flower and ABD have a better average amongst those with a considerable amount of sample. His 55.84 average at home has certainly boosted his figures but he has fared more than well enough outside with Windies and New Zealand being the only countries where he has failed and even there he has played just 4 matches, combined. But the major factor as to why his name is etched in red-ball folklore is the approach with which he has scored his 3K runs till now.

A strike rate of 73.90 (6th best for min. 2K runs), Pant’s tally of 7 nineties seems to be more well-known than his 8 centuries and that’s what I feel is the best way to capture the enigma of Pant. Pant’s keeping has always been under the critical lenses, leading to him being dropped in the aforementioned match, but it has seen a steady increase ever since that date. He is one of the rarer subcontinental keepers who actually prefer the pacers instead of the spinners, and I personally feel his best glovework came in South Africa. Though a tragic accident in 2022 seemed to have had an impact on his mobility and his catching over the past 6 months has taken a slump. I won’t be surprised if Pant moves on to become a specialist batter to shift keeping responsibilities to Dhruv Jurel, another talented athlete.

Rizwan and Rishabh will very likely never play a test match together but from the perspective of accolades as well as recognition, the former is the derivative of the latter. Like Pant, Rizwan is in all likelihood the best of his respective nation but hasn’t yet reached the status of an ATG. Like Pant, Rizwan’s average of 40.59 is remarkable for a designated keeper yet it’s 4 points short of Spidey’s. Like Pant, Rizwan’s away record is brilliant, in fact one can even consider it to be better well-rounded; however, the difference in quality of both batters’ knocks, especially if you consider only the top 25-odd innings, remains sizable. Though glovework is indeed an aspect where the 33-year-old possesses the edge. Funnily, like Pant, Rizwan also found himself in a similar debate mentioned earlier, only though, here he exchanged the roles with Sarfaraz Ahmed.

Talking about the transitions of our watchmen from their predecessors, Carey had the most theatrical debut. Former skipper Tim Paine was ousted after a sexting scandal and Alex found himself making his debut directly at the Ashes. In a way, his debut series was a very good representation of the 42-games Test career he has had so far. He has 23 dismissals, the 2nd most for any debutant, which sort of prophesied him being the finest amongst the first-choice keepers when it comes to handling the handwear since 2021. Whereas, with the bat he had a mediocre start, averaging only 20 but despite this, he managed to top score in the last innings of the series with a score of 49, where the 2nd highest had 27 runs. Well this is exactly who Carey is, a proficient keeper who always outperforms himself on occasions when Australia needs him the most. Be it both WTC finals or situations such as 80/5, 54/5, 110/5, etc.

Well it’s certain he isn’t going to dislodge Gilchrist but Australia have a rich cricketing history and have multiple players fighting for the number 2 spot, namely Haddin, Rod Marsh and Healy. The general consensus is always going to keep Carey behind the trio when it comes to pure glovework but he has already eclipsed them on the batting front and if there’s one more stride of peak cricket left in him, we might see him playing the definitive Robin to Adam’s Batman.

On one hand, the above trio have already embedded themselves to be amongst the finest keepers of their respective nations, whereas on the other end, the trio of Smith-Verreynne-Da Silva have a long journey to scale such a peak, yet the promise they show is appealing. Smith has by far received a greater radius of spotlight and it makes complete sense; he is the youngest out of the bunch and has scored his runs at a stupendous average of 56.81 in his first 12 matches. On top of that, 4 out of his 6 fifty-plus scores has arrived when the scorecard had figures of 54/5, 66/4, 98/5 and 84/5!

If one views Jamie as a doppelganger of Pant, then Kyle Verreynne could be treated as the shadow of Carey along the same lines. A keeper with solid fundamentals, Verreynne may not be able to displace the greats of the Proteas, and to be honest, South Africa is probably the best when it comes to producing wicket-keepers in tests. But he is only 28, has secured his place in the side, has an away average of 32.70 and has scored the majority of his runs in tough situations. All indicators of a fruitful career.

Da Silva is the most disappointing sprout out of this trio, and unfortunately, it is by a fair margin. Brewing into existence at one of the most tumultuous periods a test side has endured, Joshua follows the Caribbean tradition of prioritising the work behind the timber rather than in front. The highest average for any Windies wicket-keeper is a meagre 31.46 (min. 20 matches). Although a career average of 24.76 cannot be excused, he has shown promise in foreign conditions (averages 29.35). At the moment, he has been dropped from the Windies Test squad and one can only hope that his international career doesn’t end the way it did for Shane Dowrich.

This article has already presented you with 2 trios, so why not a third one? One of the most frustrating sides to support in limited-overs, Ireland has surprisingly looked promising in tests, currently in a 3-series winning streak. Well, in their short stay so far, it isn’t controversial to term Locran Tucker as their greatest ever test player, period. He has played only 7 games, but has been their best batter with an average of 43.92 and has pretty much scored runs everywhere in the world except at home. The fact that he was selected for the 2023 Test XI of the year by Wisden is a testament to his ability to clear boundaries even outside of the field.

Mushfiqur Rahim is amongst the stalwarts of Bangladesh and isn’t yet done with his 21-year-old test career! Yet, the person with whom we are interested is Liton Das, the current first-choice keeper of the team. 50 tests old already, he might very well not surpass Mushfiqur the test player, but there’s an outside chance of him overtaking the master as a pure keeper, given only 16 matches separate both’s total games as a designated keeper, despite there being a 10-year gap between their debut matches.

Lastly, I would like to include Kusal Mendis. For a lot of years, Kusal seemed just another entrant on the long list of young Sri Lankan cricketers who seemed to receive admiration from the pundits but could not convert this applause into actual performances on the field. However, a recent role-change which saw him being demoted to number 7 alongside donning the gloves, appears to be the event which has flipped the switch, with him averaging 45.46 in the 10 games he has played so far.

In an XI, you have multiple batters and bowlers but a singular keeper and hence, it makes sense that it’s easier for a wicket-keeper to climb up in the all-time debates than the former roles yet I believe the title of the article makes sense even after taking this anecdote into account.

Rishabh and Rizwan have already snatched a position in their respective nations’ All-Time XIs in my opinion, whereas Carey is set to win the race for number 2 in Australia. Jamie’s profile is such that it isn’t possible to predict how he will fare up against the Knotts and the Priors after 10 years, while the others mentioned in the article may not reach the status of the above names, but are more than capable enough to carve out their own legacy.

The Coronation of the Plagued Prodigy

Sidharth Basu
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The Coronation of the Plagued Prodigy

The romanticisation of prodigies within the sports realm is a tradition both ancient and universal. Well, we can sideline sports for the time-being; children are the strata for which we all feel an inbuilt sensation of conditional affection. Combined with our perpetual quest for the next candidate to be burdened with the GOAT shouts, teenage sensations have always been a hot potato amongst the media. Well, one such Wunderkind in relatively recent history is Aiden Markram.

A 6’ foot tall, literally golden-haired boy, Markram’s feats in youth games may not stack-up against fellow head-liners but given the barren pot of gold of the rainbow nation when it comes to ICC tournaments; Aiden’s 2014 under-19 World Cup campaign in which he led South Africa to their first ever World Championship at any level (across genders) in addition to bagging the player-of-the-tournament award, catapulted him towards the nation’s cricketing spotlight. And yet, after only 2 years, we had articles titled, “The forgotten prodigy of South Africa – Aiden Markram”!

While his batchmate Rabada was running through international sides the very next year, and immediate seniors De Kock, Phehlukwayo and Theunis De Bruyn had already made their international debuts, Markram wasn’t even able to secure a CSA T20 league contract.

Psychology hasn’t been able to objectively give an answer as to which emotion is the worst, but if you were to ask me, I would tell you it’s regret. Other negative emotions more or less provide a hope, hope for escape from the source, hope for the ordeal to end. But in a cent percent of cases of Regret, the only way to end things is accepting the past as it is, and the hardships of acceptance is a well-documented topic. Now if you contract the circle to sports fans, then only the feeling of regret gets substituted by the conversation of “What If?” and nowhere is it more relevant than for the profiles such as that of Markram’s.

However, the fleeting yet familiar clouds of doom seemed to float away after Aiden finally made his international debut in 2017. A knock of 97 in his very first innings for the senior team, followed by the fact that he was bestowed upon as the ODI captain over the likes of Duminy, Amla and Miller when his experience in the format was of only 2 games, foreshadowed the amount of backing he has received over the next 8 years whereas the immediate impact was of comparisons being drawn across Aiden and another Saffa legend who ascended the captaincy crown when he was 21.

On the one hand, Graeme Smith solidified himself as one of the best batsman in the world over the first 7 years of his career, whereas our protagonist swam the same seas of mediocrity which is acceptable for a young debutant but not for an athlete who was approaching the phase of his life where most cricketers peak.

It always feels like all national teams at all times employ at least one such player around whom the conversation at all times seems to revolve around the individual’s potential. Mominul Haque, KL Rahul, Mitchell Marsh, Shimron Hetmyer and Ollie Pope are some of the examples in the current international circuit whom I can think of, but Markram along with KL seem to be the flag-bearers of this group. Cricketing greats across oceans, most notably Virat Kohli have over the years expressed their positive views upon his abilities but Aiden has always lacked a very important factor which elevated all those individuals to the pantheon of the best and that is consistency.

Possessing the skills to be an all-format superstar, only his T20I statistics provide a glimpse of this capability to an extent. Moreover, in ODIs his recent exploits at the 2023 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy gives hope of a redemption, but the red-ball arena, which Markram considers to be his favourite as well as the most important format, is where his career is the most underwhelming.

Opening in South Africa is one of the toughest challenges for a test batter ever since the country’s readmission, yet Markram seems to do just fine over there. Well, then what’s the issue? That’s about the only place where he has succeeded. Till May 2025, Aiden hadn’t even been able to secure a half-century in 5 of the 7 countries that he has toured! And yet out of the 25 matches South Africa have played away from home since Markram’s debut, he has played in 17 of them. Well then, what’s the reason for this immense backing?

Like the rest of the players mentioned above, Markram’s catalogue of his best knocks is far better than what one would conclude after extrapolating their raw numbers. First of these was the one which garnered him global attention; a 143-run 4th innings counter-attack against the Aussie quartet at Durban, where the entire team managed only 298. He had yet another 4th innings masterclass, 108 at Rawalpindi and this is before Pakistan started rolling out highways over there in this decade but his best knock is by far his century against India at Cape Town. A chanceless 101 in an innings where the 2nd highest scorer had 12 runs, these shimmers of sophistication and splendour were what served as the chain to which Markram clung until the recently concluded WTC final.

For a team as consistent as South Africa has been, their lack of success in ICC tournaments continues to be a baffling episode. It has become so synonymous with the cricketing side, that even experts include this “choking” factor in pre-game analysis. Well if one is to follow sporting superstitions, then the 2024 T20 World Cup final was the perfect premise for the ascension of the protea’s prince who had by now secured the captaincy in 20-over internationals. Having led Cape Town to two consecutive titles as well as performing in the knockout stages of SA20 and the previous two ICC knockouts that he had been a part of, Markram seemed to fit into the sporting archetype who are known to break such so-called curses. Well, so what happened?

An ordinary delivery by Arshdeep, 135 kmph around the 6th-7th stump with maybe a slight away movement; Aiden goes fishing, outside edge; OUT. A terrible campaign for Markram came to an end and the Indian pacer’s miracle at the death meant the Saffa’s thirst persisted. This article could have ended right over here, or possibly followed by a lazy what-if question in another timeline, but the good thing about sports is that if you don’t give up, chances will keep occurring periodically, and the next one came at Lords.

This time around, the spotlight was miles away from our figurehead. Australia had arguably the best bowler and the best batter of this era, whereas South Africa themselves had the former’s competitor and an unconventional messiah. On top of that, you add individual elements such as Travis, the Aussie quartet and the promising youngsters of the men in green, the only aspect where Markram’s name was being brought was that of experience. Ironic isn’t it? The player who at 21 seemed to be the next youth sensation had his utility confined within the walls of mere experience by the time he had reached 30.

A Rabada special meant Markram and Rickleton implanted their footprints within the 22 yards on Day 1 itself. By this point of his career, everyone knows Mitchell Starc’s plan of action when it comes to the new-ball. The first 3 deliveries of the innings, all outside-off, all angling away, all left alone by Aiden. The 4th ball came angling in and an inside edge saved our batter. With each stride of Starc, anticipation grew and the climax occurred rather quickly, at the last ball of this very over. Slightly shorter, moving into the body, another inside edge but this time, it was the hard timber instead of the cushion of his pads. Aiden Markram; dismissed for a 6-ball duck in his first innings of the WTC final.

It might be dramatic but this very moment could be the lowest point of Aiden Markram’s international stint. One of the biggest games in South African cricket history, and here he walks back to the infamous balcony, without troubling the scorers. The glitter of the once golden boy had worn off, the shine had faded and once again the mind raced to what a player he could have been had…..

I had expressed my views as to why regret or rather melancholic reminiscences of the past are one of the most depressing settings given how void of hope they are, but even the most pessimistic individual gathers faith when a new innings starts, for each innings is void of the past.

4th innings performances are one of the very few statistical aspects where Aiden can match up with the all-time greats and here laid yet another chase; a mountain of 282 runs against the Australian attack, a mountain whose peak contained salvation. The South African top-order was criticised for being over-defensive in the first innings, but Markram took the onus over here. He raced to 16 of his first 15 deliveries and although he lost both his partners relatively cheaply, his strokes reflected a resolution which seemed characteristic of the 3 innings mentioned earlier. With a diverse batting-pie with boundaries scored at each of the 8 slices, batting conditions had become easier, but Aiden didn’t leave things to chance. Except for the odd thick-edge, none of the Aussie pacers came close to causing any resemblance of discomfort.

With the support of skipper Temba, each run off Markram’s blade brought him closer to the prophecy or rather the dream which was first seen at Dubai in 2014. Aiden eventually completed his 3rd fourth innings century; the highest tally is of 5. At the end, he was dismissed by Hazlewood, but things had already come to an unofficial end by then. South Africa were the WTC winners, only their 3rd trophy considering any level of cricket and the Protean Prince starred in two of them.

Rajasthan Royals Squad Analysis for IPL 2025

Arjun Gurudwan
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Rajasthan Royals Squad Analysis for IPL 2025

When you talk about the Rajasthan Royals, your first memories are those of the inaugural season, in which they clinched the Indian Premier League for the first time under the leadership of great Shane Warne. Since then, they have come close and tried hard but haven’t got the results they were looking for.

From Shane Watson to Jos Buttler, from Shane Warne to Yuzu Chahal, Rajasthan has always had its formula clear: explosiveness at the top and wrist spinners to work with. They built a great squad in the 2021/22 mega auction, consisting of Indian talent as well as overseas experience and with that, they made regular playoff appearances but never won a title. This time, the Royals management and captain will have something different to work with and see if they can bring different results (in a positive way!)

Squad Preview

Rajasthan Royals was one of the two teams that retained 6 players. Captain Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal were the top retentions, receiving 18 crore each. Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag received 14 CR, and Shimrom Hetmyer and Sandeep Sharma were the other two retentions.

IPL 2024 was Riyan Parag’s breakthrough season, and with the amount of trust RR management has in him, he was a sure spot among retained players. But there was talk of the amount Dhruv Jurel received, and he will have a lot to show this season.

There are a lot of Indian batters at the top, and Rajasthan will have to look at how to control the game if the top order collapses, as they lack that foreign experience in the middle. The use of Hasaranga and Theekshana will be quite interesting. Akash Madhwal did pretty well for Mumbai, especially at the end overs, and he can be a decent new ball option, too. Yudhvir Singh, as HTD bowler, can work at Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Kumar Kartikeya will provide them with an extra Indian spin option.

Strengths

Top Order Batting: The true strength of RR will lie in the top order in which they have experience and explosiveness in Jaiswal, Samson and Nitish Rana. Samson and his X-factor Jaiswal have been part of the team for a long time and will now provide them with a strong lefty and righty opening combo, and then Nitish Rana at 3. Yashasvi can take down the bowlers right from the start, him striking at 147 with an average of 36 is proof of that. Samson will look to play an aggressive brand of cricket for them, and Rana, who was on the bench for most of the IPL 2024, will get a chance. Young prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi will be exciting to watch.

Middle Order: Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, and Dhruv Jurel. You cannot get a better batting quality in the middle than this in most teams. Parag can be as destructive as it gets. Meanwhile, Dhruv Jurel can anchor the innings if needed and can play all the shots in the book. Shimron Hetmyer has been the most consistent striker for the Royals in the last few seasons, with his late finishes at death.

All-Round Bowling: Royals have managed a good enough bowling lineup and like to like replacement options for each one of them. Big names in Jofra Archer, the royal superstar Wanindu Hasaranga (one of the best T20I bowlers), Sandeep Sharma as the new ball specialist, Maheesh Theekshana as the new ball spin option and last but not least, Tushar Deshpande who has improved a lot last season. All of them together can make a very decent Bowling Attack. All phase bowlers are very much required in T20s, which royals have got in plenty, and they are wicket-taking options as well.

Weaknesses

Death Bowling: Bowling in end overs will be concerning for them as Jofra Archer isn’t the same bowler he used to be, and Sandeep Sharma isn’t reliable at all in the death, though he has improved from previous outings he had before 2024. They will have to sort out this issue because the last IPL was played on the flattest decks we have seen in T20s, and death bowling will be a game-changing phase.

Overseas Batting Options: Rajasthan Royals always have one or two explosive hitters at the top, be it Shane Watson or Jos Buttler, but this time, the heavy lifting has to be done by the Indian stars. Shimron Hetmyer’s role will be crucial, and it’s interesting to see what he offers them this season.

RCB Batters Matchup Sheet (Since 2022)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad Analysis for IPL 2025

Prabal Sharma
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Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad Analysis for IPL 2025


The team and its fans begin the season with a lot of hopes, but the tournament ends with numerous unwanted emotions for them. Royal Challengers Bengaluru has the most loyal fanbase but has never been successful in fulfilling the needs of their 12th man in the 17-year-long history of IPL.

The first half of IPL (i.e. initial 9 seasons from 2008-2016) were a bit better for RCB. They never managed to win the trophy but entered the final on 3 occasions (initially in the second season itself). But the biggest heartbreak must be the 2016 season, where they won 6 out of their last 7 group stage matches, won the Qualifier 1 (all thanks to the heroics of AB de Villiers), but fell 8 runs short against SRH in the final. Virat Kohli’s tally of 973 runs in that tournament is still the best by any batsman in any season of IPL.

RCB didn’t qualify for the playoffs in the next three seasons, but are on a roll with four qualifications in the last five seasons. However, they never managed to get past Qualifier 2. They must take their last season’s performance (they won the last six group matches to qualify at 4th position) as an inspiration to perform better this season.

Squad Preview


Every time an auction is held, RCB is always available to surprise the cricket world with its retention or picks. This time, they began in the retention phase itself, where they didn’t retain their main pacer, Mohammed Siraj, and neither did they use an RTM card for him. RCB retained their icon Virat Kohli alongside Rajat Patidar (captain for the 2025 season) and Yash Dayal.

The RCB batting lineup will feature Devdutt Padikkal’s return at the top order this season. Rajat might bat in the middle order with Liam Livingstone. Their finishing is also sorted with the presence of Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, and Krunal Pandya in the lower order. Romario Shepherd is also available as the backup player with Jacob Bethell and Swastik Chikara.

Fast bowling has been a problem for the RCB for many seasons. But it looks like they have found a way to escape this problem. They bought the experienced duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood for over 20 crores, while Yash Dayal was already retained prior to the auction.

Spin bowling might be a matter of concern for RCB because Krunal Pandya might be the lone spinner in the starting 11. Tim David and Liam Livingstone can also roll their arms, but will they be effective on Bengaluru’s pitches? Suyash Sharma has done well with KKR in previous seasons and might play as an impact player.

Strengths

Varied Pace Attack: RCB has invested hard when it comes to their fast bowlers, and it shows in the end product. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the quintessential New Ball bowler, whereas Rasik Dar played as a Death specialist for the Capitals last year. Josh Hazlewood is the ultimate jack of all trades, whereas uncapped retention Yash Dayal brings the left arm angle into play. Apart from this, they have someone like Nuwan Tushara as a backup.

Pace Hitting: Kohli and Salt at the Top, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, and Tim David in the end overs; all of them are magnificent pace hitters at their best. Everyone has struck at over 140 since 2022 against pace bowling (except Kohli 137), while three of them striking at over 150; add to the fact that Paitdar, who is commonly assumed to be a spin basher (he is obv one of the best in that department) strikes at 168 against all types of pace bowling since 2022.

Weaknesses

Spin Bowling: As discussed in the squad preview section, RCB failed to upgrade their key weakness of last year; spin department, and some may argue that they made it even worse. Last year, they were playing with a proper spinner who couldn’t perform up to the mark, but this time, their probable xii consists of Krunal Pandya, a bowling all-rounder, as their main spinner, who, for context, picked up almost 1 wicket in every 2 games (0.5 wickets per game) and Liam Livingstone, a batting all-rounder who bowled 12 overs in 7 games in last season while almost maintaining the same wickets per match.

Lack of Form for Middle and Lower Order: An age-old issue for the franchise seems to have crept up once again. Jitesh, Liam, and Tim David had terrible IPL seasons the previous year, while Liam, especially, has had a horrible run in internationals recently.

RCB Batters Matchup Sheet (Since 2022)

Mumbai Indians Squad Analysis for IPL 2025

Prabal Sharma
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Mumbai Indians Squad Analysis for IPL 2025

The 5 time champions will begin their Tata IPL 2025 campaign against Arch Rivals Chennai Super Kings at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on 23 March.

Mumbai Indians was the best team in the last decade (2011-2020) winning 5 titles in the span of 8 years (with the first title coming in 2013). But the same isn’t true for them in the last 4 seasons where they are unable to clinch even a single trophy, Will they be able to won their thth trophy this season?

Squad Preview

The last season was full of controversies for the men in blue and gold. The sacking of Rohit Sharma as captain saw the management receiving criticism from many of the cricket experts and the fans, too. Mumbai was able to win just 4 of their 14 matches and was at the bottom of the points table.

MI maintained a strong foundation of their squad in the retention phase itself. They had unarguably the strongest retentions. One of the most brilliant minds of this format, their former captain Rohit Sharma brings in his aggressive intent as an opener and leadership qualities. Then, the destructive yet reliable middle-order duo of Tilak Verma and Suryakumar Yadav. Next on the list is their current captain, Hardik Pandya, who is a solid all-round package. Be it opening the innings with the ball, bowling those crucial death overs or finishing the match with the bat, this man can do it all. And the greatest asset any T20 team can have, Jasprit Bumrah.

Talking about the batting itself, they have a formidable lineup. Rohit and Rickelton will probably open the innings. We have already witnessed Rohit’s batting capability, even at this age, in the recently held T20 World Cup. Ryan has also been a proven performer, evident in his number as an opener (36 average, 149 SR). Tilak and Surya are both in the top 5 batters of the ICC Men’s T20I rankings. They have been consistent performers for MI in IPL in the last few years as well.

Coming to the bowling part, they have one of the best pace attacks across the league, comprising the likes of Chahar, Boult and Bumrah in the pace department. Since his debut in IPL, Chahar has taken the second most wickets (58) by any bowler in the powerplay overs. On the first is no other but his bowling buddy Trent Boult with 61 wickets. These two bowling the initial overs for any team together is no less than a nightmare for all opponents. And even if someone survives them, they have to face the final boss of T20 bowling, Jasprit Bumrah. The player of the 2024 World T20 tournament and the T20I player of the year, this man is in the form of his life. Facing the MI pace attack won’t be an easy job for any opposition.

One of the primary concerns of this superteam is the lack of experience on their bench. Apart from Topley and Mujeeb, no player (outside their probable main XI) has played even 25 matches in this format. This might be a challenge for them, considering the number of injury-prone players in their main team.

Strengths

Indian Batting Core: MI retained 5 Indian players, 3 of whom are proper batters and the fourth a batting all-rounder. Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Verma, and Hardik Pandya form a formidable Indian batting core a team wishes to have with them. This allows them to have multiple overseas options as an all-rounder or bowler.

Powerplay Bowling: “Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust, if Thomson don’t get ya, Lillee must.” Thinking of Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult bowling in powerplay reminds me of this famous Ashes quote. They are by far the best powerplay bowlers in IPL, and them bowling in tandem will terrorize the opponents like nothing else. Moreover, they also have the option of Mitchell Santner as a powerplay bowler whenever required.

Weaknesses

Death Bowling: Looking at their numbers in the last season or any other season, you won’t even think of labeling this an issue, though everyone knew it was primarily because of Bumrah’s masterclass in death overs in almost every game. This season, he won’t be at least available in the first 3 games, and his availability in further matches is not confirmed as of now. Chahar and Boult; both very great new ball bowlers as discussed but they are not the death bowlers any team would want, So Mumbai is only left with the option of using Hardik, along with Bosch in the death and we have to see how it works, if it works!!

Wicket Taking in Middle Overs: In the 2024 season, MI had the worst bowling average in middle overs (41.37), with no other team averaging over 40 in this phase; this was because of a lack of quality spinner and probably a pacer who can strike in the middle, now even though MI has now 2 spinners in their primary XI, one of them is known for his defensive bowling while the other being a flop in the previous season’ bowling at an economy of over 10 and striking even less than 1 wickets per game. Again, it depends on how the pacer they use in middle overs fared up for them.

MI Batters Matchup Sheet (Since 2022)

Gujarat Titans Squad Analysis for IPL 2025

Arjun
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Gujarat Titans Squad Analysis for IPL 2025

From Championship debut to finalists in 2nd year, proving the 1st wasn’t a fluke, followed by a mediocre mid-table season after losing their captain to neighbours. Gujarat made some of the spiciest purchases in the Mega-Auction 2025. Will the Titans live up to their names in this year’s IPL?

Squad Preview

The Titans squad boasts a blend of consistent batting and explosive pace bowling, with players like Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler, and Sai Sudharshan anchoring the top order. Their aggressive middle order, led by the in-form Glenn Phillips and supported by young talents like Anuj Rawat and Kumar Kushagra, promises fireworks. The all-rounders, including Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, and Washington Sundar, bring depth and balance and are capable of contributing with both bat and ball. In form West Indies star Sherfane Rutherford will also be one of the players to watch out for.

On the bowling front, the Titans have a fearsome lineup with international stars like Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Gerald Coetzee, and Prasidh Krishna, supported by the likes of Arshad Khan, Kulwant Khejroliya, and experienced Ishant Sharma. Gujarat’s attack looks well-rounded, with spinners like Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore offering variety.

Strengths

Openers: “Well begun is half done”. The Orange Cap winner of 2022 and the Orange Cap winner of 2023 will lead the way for Titans’ batting order in 2025. Shubman Gill, coming off a great ODI cricket season, will pair up with now former England’s captain Jos Butler, who will be looking to find some great touch, keeping in mind next year’s T20 World Cup. Gill & Jos are ranked 1st and 4th for the most runs in the league in the last mega-auction cycle. The next best rankings for any other team are for Delhi, where Faf and KL rank 3rd and 6th. The pair not only has accumulated runs with unreal consistency, but their scoring rate has been 145+, which will be more than just appreciable for a home venue like Ahmedabad.

Powerplay Bowling: Similar to their batting, the Titans have assembled a bowling attack that is favourable for bowling at the start of the innings. Kagiso Rabada & Mohammed Siraj are among the top 5 wicket takers in powerplay for the IPL cycle 2022-2024, despite Rabada missing out on about 13 games in those 3 seasons. Despite his poor return at death overs being the reason for missing out on RCB’s retention, Siraj’s powerplay numbers are even better than someone like Arshdeep Singh, who has managed to replace him in the Indian setup. Apart from these 2, Gujarat also bought Gerald Coetzee, who strikes every 18 balls in the powerplay. Prasidh Krishna & experienced Ishant Sharma complete the overall pace attack for Gujarat.

Weaknesses

Death Bowling: Like a contrast image to their Powerplay attack, Titans may find themselves troubling in the back end of bowling innings. The pace attack of Gujarat Titans holds some of the best wicket-takers in the powerplay, but the attack is too one-dimensional towards new ball bowling and lacks someone who can excel at death. The likes of Siraj, Ishant & Prasidh are all sort of new ball specialists with a not-so-great track record in IPL death overs. Rabada & Coetzee can take good wickets with old ball, but even their economy in the last 5 overs is not so optimal.

Middle Order Batters: IPL-winning captain and local boy Hardik Pandya left everyone in awe when he chose to leave for Mumbai last year; behind him, he left a big hole to be filled, more as a player than a captain. The species of Indian pace bowling all-rounder being the rarest, Gujarat felt a big dent in their middle order in 2024, with the likes of Miller and Tewatia also fading away. With Miller now being gone as well, the whole responsibility of finishing lies on either Glenn Phillips or Sherfane Rutherford, whoever gets picked as the 4th overseas in the XI.

Gujarat Titans Batters Matchup Sheet (Since 2022)

Chennai Super Kings Squad Analysis for IPL 2025

Arjun
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Chennai Super Kings Squad Analysis for IPL 2025

A Franchise which is as old as the league, as consistent as one can dream of being, only missing out on playoffs twice, with one of them being the last year. Winners in 2021, Winners in 2023, can Chennai do the 6th in 2025 to give farewell to their greatest ever?

Squad Preview

Like previous mega auctions, Chennai has been able to add names to their squad as per their wish; their game plan, their strategies and templates all lie far different from the rest of the teams, making it easier for them to pick and choose rather than throwing hands at players whom everyone wants. The biggest addition can be said in the name of Ravi Ashwin, who reunites with his home after a decade-long exile. Noor Ahmed, the established spin talent of Afghanistan, completes the spin trio. Sam Curran is another player who has joined CSK for 2nd stint of his career. Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, and Shreyas Gopal are some other notable additions to the team.

Strengths:

Spin Attack: A left-arm Orthodox spinner, an off-spinner, a leg spinner and a Left arm Chinaman, Chennai Super Kings on the auction table made sure there was not a single variety of spinner left behind from their arsenal. A team that always possesses a home ground privilege different from the rest, which they maximize to their advantage by any means possible. Given the amount of spinner bought and the aggressive auction bidding done for them, it shows that the Chepauk will be more spin-friendly than ever before, strengthening the Chennai team to their peak.

All-Rounders: Chennai Super Kings might be the most culture-ridden team in IPL history, ever since the inception of the league they have followed certain similar templates resulting in their success. One of the key features of the team has always been the number of All-Rounders they keep in their XI. Even going by this season probable playing XI, they will have a minimum of 7 Bowling options & a Batting deep till no. 8 without even using the Impact player.

Weaknesses

Ageing Indians: Out of 9 capped Indians who are part of squad, only 3 are aged under 30 with Deepak Hooda being 29, likes of Dhoni, Dube, Jadeja, Ashwin, Gopal, Shankar the ones who are most likely to make into the starting 11 are mostly on the wrong side of 30s. Although CSK has had a history of breaking the old age home criticism, they may find themselves falling behind in the new fast-paced t20 game where records get broken every season.

Pace Attack: The spinners and All-rounders will ensure CSK’s success at home, but the league saw some of the highest-scoring games last year, with venues like Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, and Delhi regularly hitting 220+. The lack of an experienced, quality death bowler may cause Chennai to lose way too many away games.

CSK Batters Matchup Sheet (Since 2022)

Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad Analysis for IPL 2025

Sidharth Basu
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Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad Analysis for IPL 2025

Coming into existence in the 2013 season, initially the franchise modelled itself to be the de facto underdogs that everyone loves in such leagues. Known for low-scoring thrillers, SRH was never the contenders, and neither had the league’s superstars. Well, all of that changed with the arrival of Warner. Both these entities grew as the team of Deccan rose in fame. However, a bitter end to the relationship in 2021 left sour experiences amongst fans. Following this debacle came the drought of 3 years where the team languished at the bottom. However, the arrival of another Aussie stalwart in 2024 tipped the scales, with the team reaching the finals of IPL 2024.

Cummins and Co now aim to travel one step further.

Squad Preview

SRH retained their foreign core in the form of Head, Cummins and Klaasen, even if it costed them a fortune. In addition, young stars Abhishek and Nitish Reddy rounded up the list of retained players. Kavya Mara had the purse to splurge on, and she did exactly that.

First of all, the pace battery was secured, with the think tank deciding to trust on experience, picking up players like Mohammad Shami and Harshal Patel. They were able to purchase a couple of leggies at a bargain in the form of Rahul Chahar and Adam Zampa. However the biggest buy was that of Ishan Kishan. An integral part of the Paltan, Kishan is set to have a new beginning and most likely at a new position.

Strengths

Swashbuckling Openers: The Duo of Head and Abhishek created an uproar last season, ensuring a page in T20 folklore and the way they have carried their form in other competitions; we can only expect a continuation of last year’s fireworks.

Across all T20 competitions, Head and Abhishek have the best strike rate in overs 1-6 both individually (1st and 2nd highest strike rate, respectively) and as an opening pair in T20 cricket since 2024! Given Head has been in terrific form in other formats where new-ball conditions are much tougher, new-ball attacks have their task cut out against this duo.

Arsenal against the Spinners: The free-flow of runs carries over from the power-play to the middle overs when it comes to Hyderabad’s batting innings, given the pedigree the batters possess against the spinners.

Abhishek, Nitish, and Klaasen featured in the top 10 strike rates against spin last year, and then you have Head, who has a tremendous overall record against them (30/141).

Weaknesses

Lacklustre Finishing: SRH has dished out the least proportion of their purse to finishers, and it shows in the outcome. Abhinav Manohar is a tremendous talent coming off a great KCSA tournament but has yet to be a proven entity on the bigger stage. This is a bigger problem, given that his finishing partner is also short of big-match performances.

Cummins is a good option to come at 8, but one can’t pin a team’s finishing duties on him.

Death Bowling Blues: T Natarajan was the team’s star bowler of 2024, and to be more specific, it was in the death overs that he worked his magic. With him gone, the replacements SRH has bought don’t seem promising. Shami isn’t known for his death exploits. Harshal is a specialist over there, but his economy over the last few years is concerning, and one can never be sure about Cummins when it comes to T20s.

SRH Batters Matchup Sheet (Since 2022)

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