Daniel Vettori Defends SRH Batters After Crushing Defeat Against Gujarat Titans

The GT emerged victorious against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a high-voltage IPL 2026 match played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday by dismissing the SRH side for 86. Although SRH’s batting was heavily criticized, their coach Daniel Vettori came to their defense.

Daniel Vettori, the head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad, did not seem unhappy after being defeated heavily by the Gujarat Titans on May 12. He stood behind his batsmen and termed the result as an uncommon blunder that could occur with such an aggressive team as his own. Vettori said, "We knew the target of 169 runs was achievable, but it required a good start, which we didn't get. I don't blame our batting unit; they have performed exceptionally well throughout the season. Every team has a bad day, and we had a bad day today."

In this match, Gujarat's bowlers demonstrated why they are considered the most dangerous bowling unit of this season. The pair of Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada broke Hyderabad's back in the powerplay itself. Gujarat's Sai Kishore said after the match that the pitch was slightly damp and the ball was seaming. He said, "We have experienced bowlers like Siraj and Rabada who know how to bowl at the right length for a Test match. Shubman Gill and Ashish Nehra gave us clear instructions to rely on hard lengths rather than slower balls on this pitch."