Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will have to face taste failure again even after making reinforcements ahead of the IPL 2026 season. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra directly said that SRH will not be able to make their way into the playoffs in the IPL 2026 campaign.
But why will SRH not be able to make any positive cuts? Chopra pointed out the negative points from the squad, which has taken a blow in the form of the injury of their skipper, Pat Cummins, who is also their prime bowler. Pat Cummins will not be available for the first few matches of the league due to a back Injury. The franchise named Ishan Kishan as their temporary skipper, pending Cummins’ availability to play.
Why can SRH be knocked out of the IPL 2026 early?
The temporary skipper, Ishan Kishan, will not be enough to solve the issue that Sunrisers Hyderabad has. Because their main setbacks are in their bowling line-up. Chopra said that the lack of depth in the bowling attack will hurt the team throughout the tournament.
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Aakash Chopra has a valid reason to worry as without Pat Cummins, the team has a very limited number of full-time bowlers.
Bowlers in the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad for the IPL 2026 season:
Pat Cummins, Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Onkar Tarmale, Amir Kumar, Praful Hinge, Shivam Mavi.
Multiple all-rounders will be there to provide support to the full-time bowlers
From this set of bowlers, apart from Cummins, Jaydev Unadkat is the only one who is experienced in top-level cricket. The Indian pacer, who has quality and skills, often struggles to maintain a constant rhythm.
Eshan Malinga is also doubtful for the tournament, as the pacer is yet to get a No Objection Certificate from the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). Shivam Mavi, another pacer, who was considered a probable future star, spent most of the time on the bench because of repeated injuries.
The bowling unit will be supported by multiple all-rounders. Harshal Patel, Kamindu Mendis, Harsh Dubey, Brydon Carse, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Liam Livingston, Jack Edwards, and even Abhishek Sharma can help the team with their part-time bowling skills. But will it work for them in crucial points, especially during the away fixtures? Chopra has doubts.
SRH probably won’t be able to do much in the IPL again: Aakash Chopra
“This year, Sunrisers Hyderabad probably won’t be able to do much in the IPL again. I don’t think they will qualify for the top four. Sunrisers Hyderabad have a very strong batting lineup, but their bowling lineup is not that strong,” the former India opener expressed in his YouTube video.
“Their only real chance is if they can win at least five out of seven matches at their home ground on batting-friendly wickets. But in away matches, if the other teams plan properly against Hyderabad, it will be very difficult for them to have a good IPL season”, he added further.
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