In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) were at the forefront of the T20 batting revolution. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) lifted the trophy, but SRH started something special. Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head combined went past the 1000-run mark, 1051 to be precise, and struck at 197.18. It was hitting we’d never seen before.
The strike rate in itself was astounding. But it was the consistency that truly wowed. Abhishek averaged over 30, and Head over 40. It’s one thing to average about 20-25 runs per innings and strike at 200, like Andre Russell. But what the SRH openers were doing was something cricket hadn’t witnessed.
It was so rare that neither was able to replicate it in 2025. It wasn’t just them. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen were lacklustre as well. Ishan Kishan, a new entrant, was underwhelming to say the least. That’s why going into IPL 2026, it’s tough to gauge where SRH really stands. InsideSport will try to attempt just that.
IPL 2026: SWOT analysis of Sunrisers Hyderabad
Cricket 25 seconds SRH full schedule for IPL 2026Strengths
Last season, SRH didn’t dominate with the bat. Especially, how they’d want to. However, the strike rate was still relatively high. Five batters managed to breach the 200-run mark, all of whom ended with a strike rate of over 150. Unlike last year, form will be on their side. Abhishek & Kishan are fresh off a T20 World Cup victory. Both had no issues striking at over 200.
Head hasn’t been in great nick. But we can expect him to swing. The same goes for Klaasen. Then they have domestic hitters like Aniket Verma, who was their find of the season in 2025. They’ve upgraded their batting with middle-order batter Salil Arora, who struck at 198.88 while averaging 71.60 in the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT).
Weaknesses
SRH’s biggest issue for the last couple of years has been their bowling. They don’t take enough wickets or have bowlers who can shut up shop. Their powerplay bowling will be the biggest concern. Eshan Malinga and Jaydev Unadkat might do the trick but they aren’t like a Bhuvneshwar Kumar or Mohammed Siraj or Khaleel Ahmed. Pat Cummins, their highest wicket-taker and captain, won’t feature in the first leg of IPL 2026. They’ll miss his bowling and leadership.
Even in 2024, SRH had a few busts. Given they are always aiming to score 250-300, it often doesn’t go their way. Last year, they went past the 200-mark just twice in the first 11 matches. If not a late burst, where they scored over 200 in the last 3 games, they lost their way in almost every game. This could be a concern. They might be aiming for the stars and may not even reach the moon.
Deals in toe-crushers pic.twitter.com/L9IwSo9LQx
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) March 27, 2026Opportunities
Kishan has the chance to prove himself as a batter and captain. He led Jharkhand to their maiden SMAT title last year and was the Under-19 India captain as well. In Cummins’ absence, we’ll get to see how he handles the team. Remember, several Indian players have raved on about Cummins’ leadership, with him providing them freedom to play how they want. Moreover, Kishan was really bad last year with the bat. Will captaincy allow him to thrive or take him down?
Klaasen hasn’t been the same cricketer since his retirement from international cricket. In 2025, his strike rate in T20 cricket went down. Playing against weaker opposition in leagues saw his batting struggle when facing high-quality bowlers. It’s time for him to show why SRH retained him for INR 23 crore. Or else, he, like Quinton de Kock, will have to think about a potential international retirement U-turn.
Threats
As mentioned above, wicket-taking will be a concern. In the powerplay, they took just 20 wickets in 14 matches. In comparison, the eventual champions, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), claimed 27 scalps in just 15 outings. One has to remember, the powerplay is where the game sets up. If you lag behind their, you’ll always play catchup.
SRH did better in the middle overs, 7 to 15. But they don’t have any tested spinners, who generally come into play in the phase. Zeeshan Ansari is just one season old and wasn’t that good last year. They have other options like Harsh Dubey, Krains Fuletra, Shivang Kumar, and Amit Kumar. But they aren’t tested either. Same goes for their domestic fast bowling. Onkar Tarmale, Sakib Hussain, and Praful Hinge haven’t made their IPL debuts. Shivam Mavi’s turning into a batting all-rounder.
Strongest Sunrisers Hyderabad Playing XI for IPL 2026
S. No.PlayerBackup Player1Abhishek Sharma2Travis Head3Ishan Kishan (c)Smaran Ravichandran4Nitish Kumar Reddy5Heinrich Klaasen (wk)6Aniket Verma7Liam LivingstoneKamindu Mendis8Harshal PatelShivam Mavi/Onkar Tarmale9Zeeshan AnsariHarsh Dubey/Krains Fuletra/Shivang Kumar/Amit Kumar10Jaydev UnadkatSakib Hussain/Praful Hinge11Eshan MalingaDavid Payne/Brydon Carse12 (Impact Sub)Salil Arora (wk)Sunrisers Hyderabad SWOT for IPL 2026: Can Ishan Kishan overcome Pat Cummins’ absence? Inside Sport India.
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