Former Team India captain Kris Srikkanth criticized Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener Abhishek Sharma after the team's defeat in the IPL 2026 Eliminator. The former cricketer questioned Abhishek's inability to deliver in important knockout matches after another failure in the run chase against Rajasthan Royals (RR).
Sunrisers Hyderabad suffered a 47-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2026 Eliminator at the New Chandigarh Stadium on Wednesday, May 27. Chasing a massive target of 244 runs, Abhishek fell for a two-ball duck after edging a short delivery from Jofra Archer behind to wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel.
He Has Been A Huge Failure In The Playoffs - Kris Srikkanth Slams Abhishek Sharma
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kris Srikkanth criticized Abhishek Sharma for failing to deliver in crucial IPL knockout matches. The former India selector said that the opener's struggles in the playoffs have been a recurring issue for Sunrisers Hyderabad over the past few seasons.
"Abhishek Sharma has always failed in the playoffs. He has been a huge failure in the playoffs. That's been SRH's problem since 2024. Archer finished SRH in the powerplay despite Ishan Kishan's blinder," said Srikkanth, as quoted by Sportskeeda.
Abhishek's dismissal against Rajasthan Royals added to his poor playoff record. The left-hander has scored only 17 runs in four IPL playoffs at an average of just 4.25.
Unclear What Their Strategy Was - Kris Srikkanth Questions SRH's Batting Decisions
Kris Srikkanth also questioned Sunrisers Hyderabad's batting strategy during the Eliminator. The former India opener said that he was surprised to see Smaran sent ahead of Heinrich Klaasen and admitted he could not understand the team's approach during the chase.
"Travis Head is just blindly slogging. I am not sure why they sent Smaran ahead of Klassen. Was Klaasen not willing to play Archer, or did SRH want to send Klaasen after Archer's opening spell finished? It was unclear what their strategy was. They got to 50 in the third over itself, but once Kishan fell, it was a disastrous slide."
Sunrisers Hyderabad lost four key wickets inside the first five overs. Jofra Archer led Rajasthan Royals' attack brilliantly, dismissing Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Ishan Kishan during a destructive opening spell that put SRH under immediate pressure.
I've Not Seen Someone Slog Blindly Like Head - Kris Srikkanth Slams Travis Head
Kris Srikkanth also criticized Travis Head's approach during the run chase. The former India opener said that Head's reckless shot selection against Jofra Archer hurt Sunrisers Hyderabad's chances.
"If Travis Head played sensibly and Kishan did not get out at that time , they would have had an outside chance. But the way SRH just blindly slog, do they think it's so easy to just score runs? I was surprised that SRH didn't even put up a fight. Even Klaasen played a pathetic shot and seemed to have waited for Archer to finish his spell before coming to bat," said Srikkanth (via the aforementioned source).
"Its injustice though how horrible Travis Head swung the bat. I used to swing the bat blindly in my time, but I've not seen someone slog blindly like Head. It was clear that Head was intimidated by Archer."
Ishan Kishan initially kept Sunrisers Hyderabad in the chase with a quick counterattack, but his dismissal triggered a collapse. Archer then removed Travis Head and continued his dominant spell, helping Rajasthan Royals bowl out SRH for 196 and seal a comfortable 47-run victory.
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