Despite strengthening ahead of the IPL 2026 season, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will face failure again. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra directly said that SRH will not be able to make it to the playoffs in the IPL 2026 campaign.
But why won’t SRH be able to make any positive deductions? Chopra pointed out the negative points of the team, which has suffered a blow in the form of injury to their captain Pat Cummins, who is also their leading bowler. Pat Cummins will not be available for the first few matches of the league due to a back injury. The franchise appointed Ishan Kishan as its temporary captain until Cummins was available to play.
Why SRH could be out of IPL 2026 early?
Makeshift captain Ishan Kishan won’t be enough to solve Sunrisers Hyderabad’s problems. Because their main shocks are in their bowling line-up. Chopra said that the lack of depth in the bowling attack will hurt the team throughout the tournament.
Aakash Chopra has good reason to worry as the team has a very limited number of full-time bowlers without Pat Cummins.
Bowlers in Sunrisers Hyderabad squad for IPL 2026 season:
Pat Cummins, Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Malinga, Saqib Hussain, Omkar Tarmale, Amir Kumar, Prafulla Hinge, Shivam Mavi.
There will be many all-rounders to provide support to the full-time bowlers
In this group of bowlers, apart from Cummins, Jaydev Unadkat is the only bowler who is experienced in top-level cricket. Indian fast bowlers, who possess quality and skill, often struggle to maintain consistent rhythm.
Ishan Malinga is also doubtful to play in the tournament, as the fast bowler has not yet received the no objection certificate from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). Shivam Mavi, another fast bowler who was considered a potential future star, spent most of the time on the bench due to recurring injuries.
The bowling unit will be supported by several 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 at crucial points, especially during away fixtures? Chopra has his doubts.
SRH probably won’t be able to do anything special in IPL again: Aakash Chopra
“This year, Sunrisers Hyderabad might not 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 said in his YouTube video.
He further added, “Their only real chance is to win at least five out of seven matches on their home ground on batting-friendly wickets. But in away matches, if other teams plan properly against Hyderabad, it will be very difficult for them to have a good IPL season.”
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