India, April 3 -- Let the powerful batting order score a mass of runs and then trust the bowling unit to have enough variety and variation to defend those totals - that was Sunrisers Hyderabad's modus operandi enroute to the final in 2024. A poor 2024 season and a damaging loss to RCB in the season opener placed huge questions over this strategy and their gameplan, but a bruising 65-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday night got them on the board with two points - and flipped the script on this IPL.

In the first five matches of the tournament, the team batting second won - that meant for a sixth time in a row, the winning captain at the toss opted to bowl first. Chasing is the go-to move at the Eden Gardens, so this is not some...