Aakash Chopra picks SunRisers Hyderabad's probable playing 11 for IPL 2025, includes 2 leg spinners

Former India player Aakash Chopra has picked the SunRisers Hyderabad's (SRH) probable playing XI for IPL 2025. He opined that the last season's finalists might field two leg spinners, Adam Zampa and Rahul Chahar, in their bowling lineup.

SRH finished as the runners-up in IPL 2024 on the back of their batting might. They acquired two prominent wrist spinners in Chahar (₹3.20 crore) and Zampa (₹2.40 crore) at the mega auction last November to add variety to their bowling attack.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener chose the SunRisers Hyderabad's (SRH) probable playing XI and opined that they could go all the way in IPL 2025.

"The playing XI could be Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan at No. 3, and then Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy. I am forced to keep Abhinav Manohar at No. 6. He should be kept as well. He has come after batting very well," he said (12:35).

"If you are picking just the XI and not the 12th player, I have kept Pat Cummins at No. 7. Then Harshal Patel, Mohammad Shami, Adam Zampa and Rahul Chahar. They have decided they need two leg spinners. The team is looking outstanding. They should qualify for the playoffs, and this team has the might that if they are in form, they could reach the final and even lift the trophy," Chopra added.

Aakash Chopra named Aniket Verma and Sachin Baby as the batting Impact Sub options. He added that either Jaydev Unadkat or Zeeshan Ansari, another leg spinner, could be used if a bowling Impact Sub is required.

---

"There is no reason for them to stop" - Aakash Chopra on SunRisers Hyderabad's potential strategies in IPL 2025

The SunRisers Hyderabad have an explosive opening pair in Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head. [P/C: Iplt20.com]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that the SunRisers Hyderabad would persist with their last season's aggressive batting strategy in IPL 2025.

"Their entire team will say keep hitting. They are not going to stop. They will play like that only. This team has achieved so much success playing like that only. So there is no reason for them to stop. They just keep going. You reached the final while continuously hitting," he said (11:00).

The cricketer-turned-commentator reckoned that SRH are likely to fare better in the bowling department this season due to Adam Zampa and Rahul Chahar's additions.

"They took everyone by a storm. So I am saying they would go with the same strategy. A good thing that has happened this time is that they also have the bowling that can defend. They used to concede 230 when they scored 250 last year. Teams were running them really close, but that might not happen this year because they have two leg spinners in Adam Zampa and Rahul Chahar," Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra added that the presence of Mohammad Shami, Pat Cummins, and Harshal Patel in the seam-bowling department ensures that the SunRisers Hyderabad have all three phases of an innings covered. To conclude, he opined that SRH's strategy would be to score a lot of runs and then unleash their bowlers.