IPL 2025: With just 196 runs in 10 matches, has Ishan Kishan lived up to expectations—or did SRH overpay at the auction?

With 10 games winded up, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) stand on the 9th spot of the points table. Unlike the previous year, their ‘Bazball’ approach has failed miserably and a lot of the fault for that goes to their batters, who have failed to deliver on multiple occasions.
The new entrant- Ishan Kishan, succumbed to the pressure and couldn’t live up to the expectations of the franchise who bought him for INR 11.25 Crore in IPL 2025 mega auction. In 10 matches, he has scored 196 runs, including one hundred. His strike rate 144.12 is also not pleasing, considering how impactful he can get. Did the buy go wrong for SRH in IPL 2025?
Ishan Kishan’s downward spiral
After hitting a century in the very first innings and after getting a blistering start to this IPL edition, Ishan Kishan faded subsequently. His first innings was very impressive and everyone thought that after being dropped from the national side, he had bounced back really well. But, cricket is an uncertain game and his performances in the next nine matches aren’t worth remembering.
Ishan Kishan in IPL 2025:

Hence, apart from his first match and the match against Chennai Super Kings, he has barely scored runs. In fact, in six innings, his score has been below 10. Had he not scored that hundred, his strike rate would be touching ground.
Read More: IPL 2025: Travishek, Ishan Kishan losing their mojo?
SRH’s expectations vs Kishan’s reality in IPL 2025
‘Bazball’ is a double edged sword. On one hand it gives very fruitful results but on the other hand it’s a very risky approach. SRH reaped its benefits in the previous editions, but this year, they are having a hard time with it.
Last year, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma provided some great starts to their team. With their skyrocketing strike rate, the team managed to surpass 250+ scores on multiple occasions. Together, they laid the foundation for their victories.
This year too, they expected the same from the duo and for Ishan Kishan to continue his dominance at the number 3 spot. But, their strategy has completely backfired as the wicket keeper batter from Jharkhand hasn’t delivered per the scenarios’ demand.
Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma in IPL 2024:


Read More: Ishan Kishan proves his worth with maiden IPL ton, fills no. 3 jigsaw puzzle for SRH
Key breakdown: Analysing his Kishan’s with Mumbai Indians
Mumbai scouts knew that Kishan can be a great asset to the team, but they also realised that he wasn’t as consistent as the game demanded. Yes, he could score runs at an impressive strike rate, but those innings didn’t come frequently and hence the management didn’t retain him for IPL 2025. From 2018 till 2024, he was part of this star studded franchise but in 2025 they moved past him, deciding to release Kishan before the auction at Jeddah.
Ishan Kishan for Mumbai Indians:

IPL 2025: A season of missed opportunities for Ishan Kishan
SRH’s strategy to launch Ishan Kishan at number 3 has gone wrong. Witnessing his stellar show in board cricket, Hyderabad’s management thought he could be perfect for the team. But instead, he couldn’t rise to the occasion.
From right-arm to left-arm, from pacers to spinners, he is getting out to all sorts of deliveries. However, one thing that remains common in almost all his dismissals is that he is being caught somewhere or the other.
We all know that in the IPL, players are expected to hit the ball for sixes, but maybe it’s the over-aggressive approach that is proving to be his downfall. For him to regain form, he needs to choose wisely which bowlers to charge and what areas to target. That way, he can clear a greater number of balls over the fence. Hence, all he needs to do is take calculated risks and go with the flow of the game.
Read More: Should SRH Rethink Their All Guns Blazing Strategy and Prioritise Bowling?