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In a major blow to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Australian opener Travis Head was ruled out of Match 61 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The match, played on Monday, May 19 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, saw the visitors’ side won the toss and elect to bowl first. However, SRH entered the field without one of their most explosive batters of the season.
Reason behind Travis Head’s absence from the LSG vs SRH game
Pat Cummins confirmed the absence of Head during the toss. Although he didn’t disclosed the reason but head’s absence was officially confirmed by SRH head coach Daniel Vettori during a pre-match press conference held on Sunday due to a positive COVID-19 test. Shedding light on the unexpected development, Vettori stated:
Travis is coming in tomorrow morning, he was delayed. He actually had COVID, so he couldn’t travel. He’ll get in tomorrow morning and we’ll assess how he is after that,”
This health setback not only delayed his travel but also ruled him out of the key fixture against LSG. Head had flown back to Australia during the IPL’s brief break earlier this month. His return for the final stretch of the league was planned, but a positive COVID test disrupted those plans, leaving SRH to cope without one of their premier top-order batters.
Also READ: Players who have represented both Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL T20
Head’s impact for Sunrisers Hyderabad and form in IPL 2025
After being retained by SRH for INR 14 crore ahead of the 2024 season, Travis Head was expected to be a key figure at the top of the order, a role he initially fulfilled with great success. The left-handed opener made a stunning impression early in the season, forming a devastating opening combination with Abhishek Sharma.
In IPL 2025, Head accumulated:
- 281 runs from 11 innings
- 2 half-centuries
- Strike rate: 191.55
- Average: 25.54
Meanwhile, The timing of Head’s absence couldn’t have been worse for Hyderabad, who were already hanging by a thread in the playoff race. With only 11 points from 11 matches, SRH entered the LSG clash ranked eighth on the table, needing nothing short of a miracle to keep their postseason hopes alive.
Following the match against LSG, SRH are scheduled to play their remaining two league games against:
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) – May 23
- Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) – May 25
However, their chances of playoff qualification have effectively been extinguished, and the absence of key players like Head only compounds the team’s issues at the back end of the tournament.
Also READ: Shreyas Iyer creates history as Punjab Kings reach IPL 2025 playoffs
