SRH to back its strengths against CSK after Gujarat collapse, says bowling coach Aaron

Sunrisers Hyderabad will not overanalyse its batting collapse against Gujarat Titans last week and will continue to back its strengths when it faces Chennai Super Kings on Monday, bowling coach Varun Aaron said.

SRH was bowled out for just 86 in Ahmedabad, slumping to an 82-run defeat.

“I think nothing really changes because, over the course of 14 league games, every team has one of these matches,” Aaron said at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on the eve of the fixture.

“If you overthink it and overanalyse it, that can really hurt the team. So, it’s one of those games. Tomorrow is a very different opposition and a very different surface, so we’ll keep doing the same thing, backing our strengths and approaching the game the way we want to,” he added.

Across the six matches played at Chepauk this season, especially the four night fixtures, the surface has largely been tacky and two-paced. Monday’s game will be played on a black-soil pitch, the same surface on which CSK comfortably chased down 160 against Mumbai Indians.

“I think anything under 200 is very gettable. We’re playing on pitch No. 5, and the winning score on this wicket is probably around 210. So, anything under 200 should be manageable,” Aaron said.

Sunrisers currently sits third on the points table with 14 points, and one of the key reasons has been Heinrich Klaasen. The South African has scored 508 runs in 12 innings at an average of over 50 and a strike rate of 153.94.

ALSO READ: Dhoni joins CSK training ahead of possible home farewell against Sunrisers Hyderabad

Klaasen retired from international cricket last June to prioritise family, but Aaron said there was never any doubt about the batter maintaining his standards.

“I think it’s pretty obvious he shouldn’t have retired,” Aaron joked.

“Klaasen has been one of the best T20 batters over the last seven or eight years, and there was no reason for his performances to dip,” he added.

“In fact, I think he’s got even better. Batting for us, especially after our explosive top three, and still maintaining the same tempo, or even shifting gears when needed before accelerating again at the end, is not easy at all. From the outside, it looks easy, but it really isn’t.

“He makes it look unbelievably easy, and I think he’s the best all-round T20 batting model,” Aaron said.

Published on May 17, 2026