As the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Gujarat Titans (GT) prepare to face off at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, all eyes will be on three key bowlers who could make the difference in this high-stakes encounter. Based on historical head-to-head performances, venue statistics, and current form, these three bowlers can emerge as the prime candidates to dominate with the ball.
1. Pat Cummins (SRH)
Sunrisers Hyderabad's right-arm pacer, Pat Cummins, has already demonstrated his effectiveness against Gujarat Titans' batsmen. His ability to extract movement early and nail his yorkers at the death makes him a constant threat throughout the innings.
- Home Ground Advantage: At Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Cummins has claimed 8 wickets in 7 matches, showcasing excellent knowledge of the local conditions and pitch behavior.
- Versatile Weapon: As SRH's captain and lead pace bowler, Cummins brings international quality and experience to the attack. His ability to take wickets with the new ball and at the death makes him a constant threat throughout the innings.
- Effectiveness Against GT: Cummins has been particularly effective against GT's batting lineup, dismissing Sai Sudharsan once in 9 balls while conceding just 9 runs, giving him an economy of 6.00.
2. Rashid Khan (GT)
Rashid Khan has been GT's premier bowler against SRH, particularly effective against their middle order. Although he hasn't found his bite yet, the batters have been picking him with ease, and he now faces possibly the biggest competition in the tournament with a side that takes bowlers down for fun.
- Effectiveness Against SRH: He has claimed Heinrich Klaasen's wicket once in 18 balls, showing his ability to dismiss even SRH's best batsmen. With his exceptional control and variety of deliveries, Rashid remains a constant wicket-taking threat.
- Experience in T20 Format: Rashid's experience and skill in T20 cricket make him likely to adapt and find success in the upcoming game.
- Consistency In IPL: Before the IPL 2025 season, his IPL record was outstanding, with 149 wickets at an economy under 7.
3. Mohammed Siraj (GT)
Mohammed Siraj brings pace, swing, and seam movement to Gujarat Titans' bowling attack. As one of GT's premier fast bowlers, he's likely to be among the top wicket-takers in the upcoming contest.
- Current Form: Siraj has been excellent in the last game, bagging 3 wickets against RCB and already claiming 5 wickets in 3 games in IPL 2025.
- New Ball Impact: Siraj's ability to take early wickets with the new ball will be crucial against SRH's aggressive top order of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma.
- Pitch Advantage: The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad often provides some assistance to pace bowlers in the initial overs, which Siraj can exploit with his ability to move the ball both ways.
These three bowlers combine skill, experience, and favorable match-ups that position them to potentially claim the most wickets in the upcoming SRH vs GT encounter.
Meanwhile, on April 6, 2025, Khaleel Ahmed of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) climbed up in the purple cap race with two wickets against Delhi Capitals (DC) in a losing cause. Ahmed jumped to the third spot, while CSK's left-arm chinaman bowler Noor Ahmad got one wicket in a forgettable outing and still holds the purple cap. DC's Mitchell Starc was economical and moved up to the second place with CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad's wicket.
No changes occurred in the top 10 wicket-takers list despite a double header. No bowler from the second clash between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) made it into the top 10. However, PBKS' Arshdeep Singh and RR's Wanindu Hasaranga took one wicket each to take the 12th and 13th spots.
IPL 2025 Purple Cap Standings:
On April 6, Sunrisers Hyderabad will lock horns with Gujarat Titans at home. Only one GT bowler is currently in the top 10. Left-arm spinner Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, who has six wickets from three games, can move up the list. Mohammed Siraj can enter the purple race as well if he gets a few wickets, currently sitting at the 16th spot.
SRH is currently at the bottom of the points table with three losses from four games and an inferior net run rate to CSK and Mumbai Indians (MI). Meanwhile, GT is in the third place with two wins from three games.
Mohammed Siraj continued to soar high in the IPL 2025 after he picked up two wickets in the powerplay against SRH at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on April 6. With those two wickets, Siraj now has six wickets in the powerplay, the most in IPL 2025 after the first 19 matches.
Most Wickets in Powerplay This IPL:
- Mohammed Siraj - 6
- Shardul Thakur - 5
- Khaleel Ahmed - 4
- Mitchell Starc - 4
- Josh Hazlewood - 3
Siraj's second wicket, where he got Abhishek Sharma out, also placed him in the elite list of bowlers with 100 IPL wickets. The 31-year-old became only the 12th Indian pacer to reach this milestone in the tournament's 18-year history.
Before Siraj, the other 11 Indian pacers who have achieved this feat include Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Sandeep Sharma, Harshal Patel, Mohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Ashish Nehra, R Vinay Kumar, Zaheer Khan, and Shardul Thakur.
As the IPL 2025 season progresses, the competition intensifies, and fans eagerly await how these key bowlers will perform in their upcoming matches.
