With IPL 2026 set to ignite on March 28, former Indian stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara has zeroed in on a glaring weakness for Sunrisers Hyderabad: their abysmal performance in away fixtures. As SRH prepares to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their opener, Pujara urges the team to rethink its strategy beyond the comforts of home.
Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has witnessed SRH fireworks, with batters feasting on bowlers to rack up skyscraper scores. Yet, transplant that aggression to neutral venues, and the magic evaporates. Pujara attributes this to smart opposition tactics targeting SRH’s top-order dependency.
Speaking candidly to JioHotstar, he elaborated: ‘At home, SRH is lethal, churning out big runs. Away, it’s a different beast—their record suffers because teams exploit the over-reliance on openers like Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and the destructive Heinrich Klaasen. Dismiss those three early, and SRH’s innings crumbles. They must build depth to counter this.’
Pujara reserved special acclaim for the Head-Abhishek partnership, hailing it as IPL’s most explosive opening stand ever. ‘These guys charge from the get-go, smashing boundaries everywhere. They’ve propelled SRH past 250 multiple times in a row—unmatched in the league. Even Gayle-Kohli pales in comparison to their ferocity. No bowler relishes facing them.’
SRH’s previous campaign ended in mediocrity, with only six victories in 14 outings, landing them sixth. Pujara’s analysis underscores the need for versatility. Can SRH evolve its game plan to turn away dread into dominance? The season ahead holds the answers.