2 weeks Ago By Firstpost
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) succumbed to a seven-wicket loss against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Sunday as their ultra-aggressive batting approach once again resulted in a below-par total. Pat Cummins-led SRH, who reached the final last season, were seen as one of the major title favourites before the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) started, and while there’s still a lot of time to go in the league phase, a few more defeats can derail the campaign for good. Nonetheless, you don’t expect Sunrisers to change their batting approach anytime soon.
Skipper Cummins indicated after the Delhi defeat at Visakhapatnam that they would look at a few options but those who watched him speak, know that he didn’t look very serious about his words. And why should he look to change anything? After three consecutive poor seasons, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s no-holds-barred hitting—led by Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma at the top—propelled them to a return to the IPL final in 2024. Their 44-run win over Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2025 opener followed the same aggressive philosophy, as they once again surpassed their own scoring record .
Abandoning that approach after just a couple of defeats would be counterproductive. If anything, Sunday’s loss is likely to reinforce Pat Cummins’ commitment to an all-out aggressive strategy across departments. At the heart of this belief being validated is the impressive performance of two uncapped Indian players—Aniket Verma and Zeeshan Ansari.
🆒 Under Pressure 🧊 Aniket Verma is dealing in just sixes and is closing on his half-century 💪 Updates ▶️ https://t.co/L4vEDKzthJ #TATAIPL | #DCvSRH | @SunRisers pic.twitter.
com/8KYjx2O14x They were together bought for just Rs 70 lakh in the mega auction and accounted for 74 runs in 41 balls and three wickets against DC. If not for Aniket and Zeeshan, SRH’s defeat would surely dented the management’s belief in their process. SRH have built a power-packed batting lineup featuring some of the biggest hitters in the game, including Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Their bowling attack carries a similar aggressive edge, with proven wicket-takers like Pat Cummins, Mohammed Shami, and Harshal Patel leading the charge. But what about the uncapped players? This is an area that often proves to be the difference-maker in the IPL, and in this regard, SRH are fortunate to have unearthed two gems—22-year-old Aniket and 25-year-old Zeeshan—both making their debuts this season. IPL for me since the beginning has been about the likes of Aniket Verma and Zeeshan Ansari in today's match.
What a platform for giving chances to young talents across the nation. #DCvSRH In only three matches so far in IPL 2025, Aniket has blasted 12 sixes. Six of them came against DC including four against Indian internationals Axar Patel and one off Kuldeep Yadav.
They were not just sixes, his shots cleared the fence quite easily. Zeeshan had an equally impressive outing. Playing his first match in IPL, he took three wickets including that of Faf du Plessis and KL Rahul.
In fact, the Lucknow-born Zeeshan was the only SRH bowler to take a wicket against DC. The common link between Aniket, who was born in Jhansi but represents Madhya Pradesh, and Zeeshan, who plays for Uttar Pradesh, is that both have played just one T20 match for their respective state teams. Aniket has never featured in a First-Class or List A match for MP, while Zeeshan’s last First-Class appearance for UP came in 2020.
Surprising, isn’t it? At the state level, neither of them is a regular part of the senior team in the longer formats, which is understandable. But what’s remarkable is that they are now making waves in the world’s biggest T20 league, despite struggling to break into their own state’s T20 setup! A Dream Debut ✨ Zeeshan Ansari couldn't have asked for better wickets in his maiden #TATAIPL appearance 🧡 Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/L4vEDKyVsb #DCvSRH | @SunRisers pic.
twitter.com/WHKiLX30Uw Right-handed batter Aniket’s only T20 appearance for Madhya Pradesh came in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last year, while Zeeshan played a single match in the same tournament back in 2019. Since then, neither has had the opportunity to represent their state teams in T20s.
Instead, their rise to the IPL has been shaped by performances in state T20 leagues. Aniket scored 273 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 195 for Bhopal Leopards in the 2024 Madhya Pradesh League. He also smashed a thrilling knock of 123 in one of the league games off just 41 balls, hitting 13 sixes in the process.
Legbreak googly bowler Zeeshan, who was once part of India’s U19 squad with Rishabh Pant, took 24 wickets for Meerut Mavericks from 12 matches in the inaugural UP T20 league as they won the title. These state T20 leagues have been the foundation of their rise to national recognition, and the young players have proven that they have what it takes to compete at this level. However, it does raise a question: how are selections for state T20 teams made? The domestic cricket ecosystem is filled with stories of bias and excessive punishment.
One can only hope that isn’t the case here and won’t be for other talented players like Aniket and Zeeshan, who have the skill to compete with the best. After all, not everyone will have the IPL to thank—a league that, even after 17 seasons, continues to stay true to its motto: ‘Where talent meets opportunity.’.
