Sunrisers Hyderabad could be without their opener, Travis Head in their IPL 2025 match against Lucknow Super Giants. The match is scheduled for Monday at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
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The Australian batter has not yet arrived in India, and head coach Daniel Vettori confirmed the reason on Sunday - Head tested positive for COVID-19, which delayed his travel plans.
SRH have already been out of the playoff contention. The team is currently eighth in the standings with 7 points from 11 matches.
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They will look to finish the season on a respectable note in their final fixtures. But they might have to do that (at least for the LSG game) without one of their key overseas players.
IPL 2025: Why Travis Head could miss the match against LSG?
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the game, Daniel Vettori explained why Head had to miss the game.
“Travis is coming in tomorrow morning, he was delayed. He actually had COVID, so he couldn’t travel, so he’ll get in tomorrow morning and we’ll assess how he is after that,” said Vettori.
It remains unclear when Head contracted the virus and his availability for the remaining matches - against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (May 23) and Kolkata Knight Riders (May 25) - will be decided once he arrives.
More: IPL 2025: Which teams have qualified for the Indian Premier League playoffs?
How has Travis Head performed this season and where does SRH stand?
Head has not had the kind of impact SRH were hoping for this season. He has only scored 281 runs and has struggled to replicate his explosive performances from last season.
SRH’s batting core - including Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen - have also failed to perform consistently. This has led to the team's early exit from the playoff contention.
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Last season’s runners-up, SRH, became the third team to be knocked out, following Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. With just pride left to play for, the team now faces a tough end to what has been a forgettable campaign.