IPL 2025 Venue Analysis: Hyderabad Might Make Bowlers Cry Yet Again

Hyderabad is going to be hosting nine matches in IPL 2025, which is the joint-most with Kolkata. It will be hosting seven home games for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) along with the Qualifier 1 and Eliminator in the playoffs. 

The Rajiv Gandhi Stadium has been a terrific batting paradise across the two seasons, with the average 1st innings score reading 188. However, even with big totals being posted, the win-loss record batting first and second is 50:50 as the pitch has tended to stay true — if not get better — throughout the course of matches. Thus, teams batting first need to have at least 200 on the board to be confident of defending. 

Pacers have taken double the wickets compared to spinners in last two editions at this venue. Both bowling types have same economy of 9.3 and the bowling strike rate does not have much difference either.

BATTERS DOMINATED IN HYDERABAD IN 2024

Batting at the venue saw a considerable improvement between IPL 2023 and IPL 2024. The run rate went up from 8.1 to 10.0, with almost 40 runs being scored per wicket. There were 16 50+ scores in 2024 compared to 10 in 2023. 

As mentioned earlier, the pitch in Hyderabad was a feast for the batters in IPL 2024 as batting became easier as the game progressed. This resulted in teams having the best run rate at this venue while chasing.

200+ totals have been scored frequently in Hyderabad over the past 15 months. Since 2024, no other venue in India has seen as many 200+ totals as Hyderabad. Team India, too, smashed their highest T20 total (297/6) in Hyderabad last October against Bangladesh. 

SPINNERS HAVE HAD NIGHTMARES AT UPPAL

Spinners have had very little help here as they have sent to the stands regularly, with batters hammering them at a run rate of 9.3. It happens to be the most expensive the spinners have been at a venue across the last two IPL editions.

Leg-spinners can be expected to have bad days on the Hyderabad wicket as they have been smashed for almost 10 runs per over in last two years. Rahul Chahar, Adam Zampa and Zeeshan Ansari will have their task cut out as they will be the leggies trusted by the SRH team to deliver in these challenging conditions.

In the 2024 season, bowling became tougher in all the three phases as the economy rate skyrocketed past 10 runs per over. The bowling average, which was in mid 20s in 2023, shot up to 40+ in 2024, making it tough for bowlers to restrict runs.