Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is just six days away as all the teams are preparing for the upcoming cash-rich league. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has been one of the most dangerous batting teams in the league. They can currently score 300 runs in T20 cricket along with players like Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Travis Head and Liam Livingstone.
Ahead of the IPL, former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opener Aakash Chopra has criticized Liam Livingstone for not performing in the IPL over the years and still fetching huge sums in the auction. The England batsman has been sold to SRH for a huge price of Rs 13.00 crore. He was one of the most expensive buys for the franchise.
He did not get that kind of response – Aakash Chopra
“I’m thinking of Liam Livingstone. He was talking about the lack of communication in the England setup and not getting the same kind of feedback and messages, and all that,” Aakash said.
Akash finds out the real reason why Liam Livingstone got so much money. The former India opener believes that the demand for players like him is very high and there are only a few players who can bowl leg spin and firepower in the middle or lower middle order.
He[Liam Livingstone] Didn’t perform- Chopra took sarcasm
Akash further said, “He has been sold for a lot of money, but to be honest, the figures are a bit inflated because he has not done anything in the last two or three years to get that much money.”
“If it wasn’t a supply-and-demand issue he wouldn’t have got that much money, but now that he’s there, he’ll get a chance to play, make a difference. This is your opportunity, Liam Livingstone.”
Aakash Chopra highlights Ishan Kishan’s prospects as captain
Aakash Chopra also highlighted that this is a big opportunity for Abhishek Sharma to score runs and lead the team from the front with the bat. Ishan Kishan has been made the captain in the absence of Pat Cummins and Chopra also feels that Ishan would like to capitalize on this opportunity and become a regular captain for the franchise.
“This is a chance for Abhishek Sharma to score 600-700 runs in the season. Ishan Kishan should make such a big captaincy that you will want to follow him, whether Pat Cummins is there or not.”
SRH will miss their regular captain Pat Cummins in the first few matches. Australia’s World Cup-winning captain has not fully recovered from the back injury. He even missed four Ashes games earlier this year. Cummins led the team to the 2024 finals of the competition; However, they failed to win a second title.
Ishan Kishan has been declared the captain for the Orange Army. He will lead the team in the absence of the experienced Australian fast bowler. As a captain, Kishan led Jharkhand to win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) earlier this year and has been in great form with the bat during the T20 World Cup 2026.
Also Read: Ishan Kishan ready to implement SMAT-winning strategy at SRH
