After a middling Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign, where they finished sixth on the table, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) enter the 2026 season looking to remind the league of their ultra-aggressive brand of cricket that made everyone sit up and take notice in the 2024 campaign.
However, how the franchise responds to an early disruption in leadership and a relatively inexperienced bowling group could define their season.
SRH will begin IPL 2026 without regular captain Pat Cummins, who is recovering from a lumbar stress injury. The Australian is expected to return only around the mid-phase of the tournament, with Ishan Kishan handed over the reins during his absence.
It's the first leadership role for Kishan in the IPL and he'll be supported by Abhishek Sharma who has been named vice-captain. Kishan comes into the tournament on the back of a successful World Cup, while Sharma will be eager to get off to a quick start and make everyone forget his hat-trick of ducks at the same tournament..
How the arrangement will impact the two relatively young Indian batters, who have been thrust into leadership remains to be seen.
SRH come into the tournament with probably the most destructive opening partnership, in the form of Sharma and Travis Head, with Kishan following in at no 3.
The addition of Liam Livingstone for Rs 13 crore adds further batting heft to a strong middle-order which features Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy. The franchise has also invested in domestic depth, with promising wicketkeeper Salil Arora coming as a long-term investment, while Shivam Mavi strengthens the Indian pace contingent.
The Sunrisers were hit by another injury ahead of the season, losing Australian all-rounder Jack Edwards but have moved quickly to bring in England left-arm seamer David Payne as a replacement.
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Coming off a lean season and carrying a clear mandate to maximise their batting output and outscore opponents, SRH once again promise to be a fun watch.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Full Squad IPL 2026
Batters & Wicketkeepers: Ishan Kishan (wk), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Travis Head, Salil Arora (wk), Aniket Verma, Smaran Ravichandran
All-Rounders: Abhishek Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshal Patel, Kamindu Mendis, Harsh Dubey, Brydon Carse, Shivang Kumar, Krains Fuletra, David Payne.
Bowlers: Pat Cummins, Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Ontar Tarmale, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Shivam Mavi.
Sunrisers Hyderabad Strongest Playing XI:
Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (C & WK), Heinrich Klaasen, Liam Livingstone, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Aniket Varma, Harsh Dubey, Jaydev Unadkat, Harshal Patel, Zeeshan Ansari
Impact players: Kamindu Mendis / Shivam Mavi
Sunrisers Hyderabad Fixtures IPL 2026
1) March 28: vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (A) - 7:30 PM
2) April 2: vs Kolkata Knight Riders (A) - 7:30 PM
3) April 5: vs Lucknow Super Giants (H) - 3:30 PM
4) April 11: vs Punjab Kings (A) - 3:30 PM
Who is the Captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2026?
Pat Cummins is the designated captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2026. However, he is set to miss the opening phase due to a lumbar stress injury, with Ishan Kishan expected to lead the side in his absence.
Who is the Coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad?
Daniel Vettori serves as the Head Coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2026.
Who is the Batting Coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad?
Hariesh Jaikumar has joined as the Batting Coach for SRH in IPL 2026.
Who is the Bowling Coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad?
Varun Aaron serves as the Bowling Coach for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Who is the Fielding Coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad?
Ryan Cook continues as the Fielding Coach for the 2026 season.
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