“Mentally they are still in Maldives” - Former India cricketer’s brutal dig at SRH after another loss to GT in IPL 2025

Former India cricketer Deep Dasgupta issued a sly dig at the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) during their tame loss to the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The Orange Army suffered a 38-run loss at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, May 2, to get closer to elimination from the playoffs race.

SRH put in a woeful display with the ball after winning the toss. The in-form GT top-order smashed 82 runs in the powerplay, with the likes of Jos Buttler and Shubman Gill continuing to dominate the middle overs. SRH were left with a tall task after conceding 224-6 in the first innings.

Despite a brisk start, SRH lost their way in the run chase as the likes of Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen failed to impress yet again in the batting order.

SRH, after a terrible first half of the campaign, needed to win nearly all of their remaining matches to have a chance of qualifying. After their win over the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Chepauk on April 25, the franchise availed a break in the schedule, during which they organized a retreat to Maldives to rest and recharge for the business end of the campaign.

Watching SRH's sloppy effort with the ball and in the field, Deep Dasgupta reckoned that the players are yet to bring their focus back after the vacation.

"It looks like SRH are here physically in Ahmedabad, but mentally they are still in Maldives. We were talking about ordinary bowling, but the fielding has been quite ordinary too," Dasgupta said on Star Sports.

Harbhajan Singh also chimed in to take a shot at SRH's mid-season vacation.

"This ball should have been stopped. The fielder had dived, but not as good as he would have done in Maldives. They must have jumped and dived around a lot in swimming pools there, but cannot see that on the ground here," the former spinner said.

SRH only have six points after 10 matches in IPL 2025. The Pat Cummins-led side are currently placed ninth on the points table, with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) the sole team ranked beneath them.

"Let down a few more catches and were the guilty party" - SRH captain Pat Cummins after loss to GT in IPL 2025

SRH could not deal with the crippling required run rate, and mustered only 186-6, with Abhishek Sharma scoring a valiant fifty in vain. Skipper Pat Cummins blamed poor bowling in the powerplay and lacklustre fielding for the crushing defeat.

"Our powerplay with the ball wasn't too great and we let them get 20-30 runs extra. Let down a few more catches and were the guilty party. They are class batters, they do not do anything outlandish and they didn't do anything risky," Cummins said during the post-match presentation.

The skipper himself dropped a sitter at a crucial juncture in the contest to give Jos Buttler a second life. The wicket-keeper batter made the most of it to score 64 runs off 37 deliveries.