Behind the unenthusiastic beginning of Travis Head to the IPL 2026 campaign, Aaron Finch and Ambati Rayudu dissected the reason. Travis Head has scored only 143 runs in six matches. As a part of SRH, since making his re-entry into the league, In 2024 and 2025 he scored 567 and 374 runs.
On the back of his Ashes heroics despite coming into the ongoing campaign, Head has struggled to get going. He has scored 143 runs with an average of 23.83 and a strike-rate of 144.44 in six matches. During the match against CSK, Aussie opener scored only 23 runs off 20 balls, unable to capitalize on the begin he got.
Aaron Finch and Ambati Rayudu dissected what’s actually gone wrong so far from technical aspect with Head.
WHAT IS GOING WRONG?
According to Ambati Rayudu, Head is focusing more on trying to hit on the onside rather sticking to his strength, which is to attack the offside. Rayudu felt the bowlers are also bowling a bit fuller not allowing him the room to play the shots freely.
Rayudu said “I think he is waiting for the short length ball to hit on the onside. I think that’s where he thought his weakness was, and he may be thought he should improve hitting more on the onside,and that’s where I feel he has just stopped focusing on what his actual strength is, and that is to hit through the offside.”
“I think even the bowlers have started doing that, just bowled slightly fuller, may be starting from the leg stump, not giving him too much room,”
According to Finch the use of slower deliveries has meant that Head is not being given one particular pace to work with, which is one of the SRH batter’s biggest strengths.
Finch told “I think the fact that teams are now bowling slower balls really early, so they are not allowing him to line up one particular pace, that’s one of his great strengths. You think of how damaging he is in Test cricket. His wheelhouse is when you try and bowl what we determine. A good length ball, about 4th stump, so that’s where he is got so many options, whereas now they are taking it away from him,”
He also feels the constant mixing up of deliveries has also hampered form of Head during this campaign.
Finch told “So just the constant mixing up of deliveries to not allow him to just line you up is so crucial. Cause you know once he starts lining you up, he keeps coming so hard. doesn’t he? And that’s one of his great strength, but it just hasn’t quite clicked so far.”
