IPL 10: Sunrisers Hyderabad’s reticent showing in away ties could cost them title defence

As far as opportunities went, the Sunrisers Hyderabad couldn’t have asked for a timely one than their match against Delhi Daredevils on Tuesday. Here they were, perched high up the roller-coaster that has been the IPL thus far, and there their opponents were right below, skating dangerously low.

But, ill-fittingly for the Sunrisers, their ride on the roller-coaster turned sour as the Daredevils surprisingly banded together to upset them comfortably. The defending champions will mull over – in passing, at least – about this sudden turnabout of their rivals. However, what they need to ponder over is their poor results in away matches. Not just against the top-two teams, but against those positioned below them in the IPL leader-board too.

The Sunrisers’ results when playing matches at home and when travelling to other cities makes for a fascinating study.

They have played eleven matches until now and have a success rate of 100% when hosting other teams – five wins in five games. On the other hand, they have won just one match in their six away matches. Their lone away win came against the Kings XI Punjab, even as rain played spoilsport to their tie scheduled at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, leading it to be abandoned.

Back then, it had seemed as if the Royal Challengers had had some tough luck with the interfering rain, but in light of the way the Sunrisers have been generously rewarding their hosts, it now feels that it was the Sunrisers who received a handy reprieve.

Done in by their own successes?

What adds to the questionability of their defeat to the Daredevils is that the Feroz Shah Kotla is a venue that two of their most prolific players – Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner – are quite familiar with. While Dhawan represents Delhi in first class cricket, Warner’s IPL journey began with the Daredevils back in 2009 and as such, the duo needed to take a bigger onus upon themselves while taking to the field. Both of them with the bat and Warner particularly, in leading his team.

To that end, the two were, indeed, remiss in exercising their responsibilities to the fullest despite putting on a good start, However, there seemed to be a deeper disconnect among the team itself .

The sole note of positivity that came about for the Sunrisers was that their loss to the Daredevils didn’t diminish their chances to make it to the play-offs, still having three more round robin matches to play out. More affirmatively, one of these matches is an away tie – against the Gujarat Lions – with the latter games to be played at home against the Rising Pune Supergiant and Mumbai Indians. As is the final to be played, on May 21.

The problem, then, for the Sunrisers is that though they continue to be in the reckoning to defend their title, it’s looking as though they may not reach that far at all. Because, thanks to this latest defeat of theirs, they could end up playing two penultimate matches – as visitors – before the final, with no certainty if they would be able to win one, let alone both.