'Not assessing conditions or match situation' - Varun Aaron questions SRH's approach after KKR drubbing

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) suffered a crushing 80-run defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens on April 3. Batting first, KKR bounced back strongly from their previous loss to Mumbai Indians (MI), posting a commanding total of 200 runs. Their innings was powered by Angkrish Raghuvanshi (50 off 32) and Venkatesh Iyer (60 off 29), while Rinku Singh provided the finishing touch with a quickfire 32 off 17 balls.

In response, SRH struggled against a disciplined KKR bowling attack. Vaibhav Arora was the star of the show, dismantling the top order with crucial wickets of Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klassen. He finished with figures of 3 for 29 in four overs to earn the Player of the Match award. Meanwhile, Varun Chakravarthy (3 for 22) cleaned up the lower order as Sunrisers were bowled out for just 120 in 16.4 overs.

SRH must regroup: Varun Aaron

Former Indian pacer Varun Aaron believes SRH must back themselves despite their struggles, as doubts may start creeping in. The right-arm pacer admitted that they failed to assess conditions, unlike KKR’s batters, who built a strong total. Aaron also emphasised that after losing three early wickets, SRH needed to consolidate but could not do it. The Jharkhand bowler admitted that Arora’s early breakthroughs were instrumental in KKR’s dominant win.

"This is when doubts start creeping into a team, but they need to back themselves for a few more games. Right now, they aren't assessing the conditions or the match situation well. When they lost three early wickets, they should have consolidated, just as Raghuvanshi and Ajinkya Rahane did for KKR to set up a 200-run total. But SRH failed to do that. Credit must go to Vaibhav Arora—his three crucial wickets, especially those two early breakthroughs, were absolute gold dust," Aaron said on JioStar.

Also read: IPL 2025: KKR vs SRH, Match 15: Stats Review of player records and achieved milestones

Vaibhav Arora's composure earns deserved recognition: Varun Aaron

The right-arm fast bowler expressed delight for Arora winning Man of the Match, stating that his performance deserved recognition. Taking three key wickets was a game-changing effort, and despite Travis Head attacking the pacer early, the KKR bowler stayed composed, stuck to his lengths and delivered at crucial moments.

"I was really happy to see him win Man of the Match—this performance truly deserved recognition. Dismissing three of the opposition’s key players was a game-changing effort. He bowled exceptionally well, backing his skills despite Travis Head attacking him from the first ball. He remained unfazed, stuck to his lengths, and delivered at the right moments. A brilliant effort from him tonight," the right-arm bowler said on Arora’s spell.