Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins once again proved why he is regarded as one of the best captains and bowling all-rounders in world cricket, leading his side to another playoffs qualification after a dominant display against Chennai Super Kings at the iconic M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on May 18.
Cummins has had a massive impact on the SRH setup since returning at the end of April following a lengthy injury layoff. While the Australian international has delivered with both leadership and the ball in just six matches this season, his compatriot and SRH opener Travis Head is currently enduring one of his most underwhelming campaigns since arriving at the franchise ahead of IPL 2024 for INR 6.80 crore.
Head has struggled to replicate the form he showed in his debut season, where he smashed 567 runs, including a century and four fifties, at a blistering strike rate of nearly 190. Those performances raised expectations around a player known for delivering on the biggest stages, including his famous 137 against India in the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup final.
Despite a few promising starts this season alongside opening partner Abhishek Sharma, the 32-year-old has failed to convert them into match-winning knocks and has recently come under criticism for his inconsistency in an otherwise explosive SRH batting unit featuring potential Orange Cap contenders like Heinrich Klaasen and Abhishek.
Former India captain Kris Srikkanth slammed Head’s performances during the 2026 season after the opener once again failed to capitalise on a start during SRH’s chase of 181 against CSK. Head managed just six runs off six balls before falling to a caught-and-bowled chance off Mukesh Choudhary.
However, SRH still sealed qualification comfortably thanks to match-winning contributions from Klaasen, who scored 47, and Ishan Kishan, who blasted 70.
Srikkanth further compared Head’s poor run to that of CSK opener and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is also struggling for form and has failed to lead Chennai’s batting unit from the front. Gaikwad has managed only two fifties this season, one of which came against an underperforming Mumbai Indians bowling attack. Coincidentally, Head’s best knock of the season also came against Mumbai.
“Spencer Johnson bowled brilliantly to them. Head has been a disaster this entire season. All he has done is play one fluke knock against MI. Travis Head is in the same form as Ruturaj Gaikwad, playing horribly. He’s just swinging the bat with no clue,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
While Srikkanth’s remarks may sound harsh, they do carry weight. Head’s most memorable innings this season remains his blistering 76 off 30 balls against a struggling Mumbai Indians side, where even the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult failed to make an impact as Mumbai battled constant bowling changes and poor team form.
Head also scored 61 against an in-form Kolkata Knight Riders on May 3, but the knock came in a losing cause as SRH posted a below-par 165, which KKR chased down comfortably with 10 balls to spare.
Despite his struggles, Head’s importance to the SRH setup remains unquestionable given his track record of delivering in high-pressure games for both club and country. But with SRH now through to the playoffs, the opener will need to rediscover his form quickly as the franchise gears up for the qualifiers in pursuit of a second IPL title after their triumph in 2016 under another Australian great, David Warner.
