In form of indian premier league 2026 Heading towards their business end, the spotlight is once again on the all-round players who continue to shape the fortunes of the franchise in pressure situations. Former Indian opening batsman Aakash Chopra believes one player has stood above the rest this season, a star Sunrisers Hyderabad.
With teams battling intensely for the playoff places, Chopra described the talented boy as the best all-rounder of IPL 2026 so far, and highlighted his impact with both bat and ball throughout the campaign. The former cricketer specifically pointed to his growing maturity, improved bowling pace and ability to perform well in multiple phases of an innings.
Aakash Chopra chosen the best all-rounder of IPL 2026
Speaking after Sunrisers Hyderabad’s impressive win over Punjab Kings, Chopra picked Nitish Reddy As the best all-rounder this season. He explained why Nitish has become such a valuable asset for SRH this season. According to him, the youngster has brought a rare balance to the team by consistently contributing in all departments.
Chopra emphasized that no other all-rounder in the tournament has managed to combine impressive batting numbers with wicket-taking performances like Nitish has. He said that in the one match the youngster missed due to illness, the team looked very weak, which underlined his importance in the playing eleven.
“He is the best all-rounder in this tournament at the moment. No other all-rounder has scored 200 runs and taken five or more wickets. When he missed a match the team suddenly looked weak. He was unwell, and the moment he came back, he has looked fantastic.” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
The former India batsman also praised Nitish for consciously working on increasing his bowling pace. Chopra observed that the improvement was not accidental, but the result of dedicated effort and awareness of what his team required from him in the current format.
“He is bowling in different phases. Why does your pace increase? It is because you feel you need to increase your pace. The pace will not increase on its own. He realized he had to do something. So he worked for it and has come up with his pace.” the former opening batsman added.
He further said that the way Nitish has adapted to different match situations, he has bowled seam-up balls in the powerplay, while also bowling useful overs in the middle stages. Chopra said such versatility is what separates elite T20 all-rounders from ordinary utility players.
“He bowls seam-up balls in the powerplay and takes important wickets. He also bowls an over or two in the middle overs. He is consistently performing well and contributing.” Chopra further said.
Also read: IPL 2026: Fans brutally troll Shashank Singh after he drops a sitter during SRH vs PBKS match
SRH continue their dominance with big win over PBKS
Nitish’s rising prestige comes at a time when Sunrisers Hyderabad are performing brilliantly in IPL 2026. In their latest outing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, SRH defeated Punjab Kings by 33 runs in a high-scoring thriller to top the points table.
Batting first, Hyderabad produced another batting masterclass and posted a challenging score of 235/4. heinrich classen Took command of the team by playing a stormy innings of 69 runs in 43 balls. Ishan Kishan Continued his excellent form by scoring a quick 55 runs in 32 balls. Punjab Kings’ fielding problems added to their woes as several dropped catches gave the SRH batsmen the opportunity to take full advantage.
In reply, Punjab Kings suffered an early defeat after losing important wickets including the captain inside the powerplay. Shreyas Iyer. Although the young Australian batsman cooper connolly Scored a sensational unbeaten century of 107 off only 59 balls, with the target proving too difficult in the end.
srh captain pat cummins Played a vital role with the ball, finishing with figures of 2/34 and deftly guiding his team in difficult moments. His leadership and disciplined bowling earned him the Player of the Match award as Hyderabad handed Punjab Kings their third consecutive defeat.
Also read: IPL 2026: Fans go wild as SRH beats PBKS despite Cooper Connolly’s century in Hyderabad
