GT, SRH Keep Their Eyes on Top of the Table

Till late on Sunday evening, Sunrisers Hyderabad were sitting on top of the table – exactly where Pat Cummins likes his team to be. Royal Challengers Bengaluru dethroning them from there notwithstanding, that SRH managed to find themselves there despite winning only one out of their first four games is incredible in itself.

Winning six out of their next seven games put them there, and they could be back at the top in 48 hours if they beat Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad – a feat they have never achieved – on Tuesday. But the task won't be simple. The Shubman Gill-led side is going through a resurgence of its own, and after a four-match winning streak, sitting only a place below SRH. A victory would take them to the top as well.

This victory is especially important because it could possibly seal their spot in the playoffs in what is a tight race among the top-six teams. But both sides, realistically in contention for a top-two finish, will be hoping for more.

There are more similarities than their respective places on the table which has been the script of their campaigns so far. Both teams have been powered – not for the first time – by their openers. Boasting two of the most prolific pairs, they have dictated the batting might.

What separates them is the performances of the middle order. GT's middle order (No.4-8) has the second lowest average and has hit the least number of sixes (20) this season. On the contrary, SRH's middle order, led by Heinrich Klaasen, has the third-best strike rate and hit the most number (54) of sixes.

On the bowling front, while GT's pace pack has been dependable throughout, SRH have picked their way since the inclusion of Sakib Hussain. In many ways, the terms of the contest could well be dictated here – the unit that manages to run through the top-order early could pinch that early advantage and set in motion the team's climb to the top.

When: Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 7:30 PM IST
Where: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
What to expect: Even as KKR chased down 205 against GT in Ahmedabad, the venue hasn't been among the highest scoring this season, with the average first innings score being 181. Pacers, especially, have enjoyed better times, conceding at less than 9 an over.
Head to head: Gujarat Titans have held a dominant 5-1 lead over Sunrisers Hyderabad, winning all three games between the two sides at home.
Injuries/Unavailability: All players are expected to be available.

Tactics & Matchups

Ishan Kishan may be the second-highest scorer among all non-openers this season, but the southpaw has historically struggled to score at a brisk pace against the troika of Jason Holder, Rashid Khan and Washington Sundar. Washington could have an important role to play in the Powerplay against the all-left top-order of SRH. Another interesting face-off could be between Heinrich Klaasen and Kagiso Rabada, given that the latter has dismissed Klaasen three times in 30 balls.

Probable XII (GT): Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Pat Cummins may bring himself on to keep Jos Buttler in check. The batter has been dismissed four times in T20s by Cummins.

Probable XII (SRH): Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Reddy, Aniket Verma/Smaran Ravichandran, Salil Arora, Pat Cummins, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Sakib Hussain, Eshan Malinga

Quotes

"The main thing that Pat [Cummins] brings is obviously the knowledge of the game, but also a calmness and all the guys feed off it. And when you're defending these big totals, there's a lot going on. So to have that cool head really helps the team."
– Daniel Vettori, SRH's head coach

"This is where the fatigue starts to set in, the mental fatigue too. So it's just about trying to stay on top of that, make sure that you're as fresh as possible. So that's where the professional side of the game is needed a lot more, especially in the back end."
– Kagiso Rabada, Gujarat Titans pacer, on the importance of staying fresh in the latter half of the tournament