Great teams make great noise when they win. But when they don’t, then seem to point to an area of concern. The same, it ought to be reminded, has happened to someone like the famous Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise in the current inception of the IPL in season 2026 where a befuddlement of sorts has caught up with cricket experts such as former Indian Cricketer Aakash Chopra who did point to a fascinating query that the Hyderabad franchise must find immediate answers to. That’s particularly because what they now need to do is to win 2 of the 4 games that lie up ahead in their qualification bid as far as the Playoffs are concerned. But first up, what’s exactly happened with the SRH franchise who most recently lost their contest on last Sunday to none other than the Kolkata Knight Riders?

Here’s some context

With an over left to play or in spare, the whole of Hyderabad unit got bundled out for a paltry total of 165. Okay, it may not be paltry all that much but surely never seemed huge or enormous enough for their opponents to chase down, something they managed quite smoothly with the loss of just 3- not more- wickets!

Now what’s there to wonder is that there are several overseas talents that can - and do happen to- shine bright for Hyderabad. There’s Travis Head. And there’s Heinrich Klaasen. Now, captain Pat Cummins, a decent operator with the bat is there as well.

But here’s the big question posed by Aakash Chopra as seen in SRH’s loss to KKR

Do they have an immediate Indian batting talent in the reserves outside of the playing XI?

The analyst would ask in his YouTube post the game- "Is there a tactical flaw in Hyderabad? They got all out for the first time while batting first. This team has scored 200 runs seven times. So there is no problem with the batting, but one guy went out, that was Nitish Kumar Reddy, as he was not available, and you kept someone in his place, which is fine, but when they were getting all out, you wondered whether a batter couldn't have come as the Impact Player!”

However, that’s not all!

The former member of the Indian side, a thinking analyst who’s unafraid to ask the right questions also asked by adding further:

"Then, when you saw the Impact Player list, you saw two fast bowlers, two spinners, and Liam Livingstone, who couldn't have come because you had already played four overseas. Then you pinch yourself and realize that they had played all the batters apart from Nitish Kumar Reddy. If you check the list of players sitting out, even a single batter isn't there. What sort of team have you made, in which there are so many fast bowlers?"

Now, it may seem like a query still largely unsolved but it’s a hugely important one at that. Hyderbad, who have looked solid and in some great knick in most games have also been found to falter in batting power plays as seen in the game against the rapidly improving KKR, who’ve won their third game on the bounce.

But while KKR don’t really have much of a chance to make it further in the ongoing competition, Hyderabad still have a lot at stake. They still can make it the next business end of the tournament. But the question posed by Akash Chopra does merit some prognosis.