SRH was traditionally known as a practical team, with a knack for optimising its resources without flashy performances. It all changed in 2024, when Travis Head and Pat Cummins joined, and the team adopted a new batting-heavy approach filled with sixes and enormous strike rates.
SRH’s evolution has resulted in a batting evolution for the league and the format itself. The 2026 season is likely to follow the same formula, with hopes that the baton of aggression and leadership will be passed to the Indian core, led by Ishan Kishan.
Auction and Squad
Despite a rather underwhelming 2025 season, SRH have done little to address their major concerns at the auction. They let go of a few uncapped batting reserves in Abhinav Manohar and Atharv Taide, along with the spin duo of Rahul Chahar and Adam Zampa. Also released were an out-of-form and injury-prone Mohammad Shami, as well as the Proteas all-rounder Wiaan Mulder. The likes of R Smaran and Harsh Dubey have been retained and show much promise.
There appears to be a belief within the franchise to build for the future and focus on developing young, often unproven, domestic talent. Of the 10 new buys, seven are uncapped domestic players with negligible IPL experience. Much will be expected from Salil Arora, a power-hitting wicketkeeper batter with a great record for Punjab last domestic season. Shivam Mavi had been touted as the next domestic tearaway pacer once, and now has the opportunity to fulfil that potential. He will compete with experienced domestic stars like Unadkat and Harshal Patel for a starting berth.
International Stars Set to Play Key Role
Liam Livingstone was SRH’s big signing in the auction. He was bought for a whopping 13 crores and is expected to add experience to an uncertain middle order. The English all-rounder gets purchase out of tricky wickets off his crafty spin bowling, and would have a point to prove, after a much-discussed ousting from England’s white-ball setup.
The foreign pace department needs serious revitalisation. Jack Edwards, expected to be integral in the death and a backup to Pat Cummins, has been ruled out. The skipper and Eshan Malinga are both unlikely to feature for much of the season. Brydon Carse would be the leader of the pace attack in such a case.
Key Strengths
The biggest strength for SRH in recent times has been their aggressive batting core. Abhishek Sharma’s gung-ho style has drawn comparisons to Chris Gayle, and since last season, he has established himself in international cricket too. Ishan Kishan had exceptional SMAT and VHT seasons and now finds himself a game-changer for India.
In a relatively young side by IPL standards, the value of experience in the batting of Head, Klaasen, and Livingstone cannot be underestimated. This team is also very immune to a major issue in IPL batting line-ups: the ability to bash spin.
Unproven Middle Order
The international pedigree up top is sure to help the lower middle order, largely built around Aniket Verma and Harsh Dubey. While Verma regularly showed the ability to smash quick runs in 10-15 balls, Dubey is a calmer foil to him. Both these players are incredibly young, too, and have much room to grow.
Dubey has already featured for India ‘A’ since last season, and bears an uncanny resemblance in temperament and style to a certain Ravindra Jadeja. Salil Arora would be a promising backup here. This season could be much more about building on this young core.
SRH has historically been a team with clear philosophies and an understanding of its strengths. This is key in a franchise league module, which often sees clashing playstyles and misunderstandings due to its mercenary approach. While not without its flaws, SRH’s aggressive, bat-heavy approach and young domestic focus would bring out the best in its upcoming players.
Places to Improve
Unfortunately, the prolonged cricket season before the IPL is very likely to seriously impact SRH’s bowling. Pat Cummins’ leadership has been integral to the new SRH, and he is the team’s best bowler by a fair margin. While a possible replacement for Edwards would add much relief, SRH now have to rely on a non-lethal lineup, very likely to concede more than they score regularly.
The spin attack is also largely untested and defensive in nature. They might not be able to make the most of bowling-friendly conditions if they receive any across the tournament.
A small matter of concern would be the form of some of their international stars. Abhishek Sharma’s weakness against off-spin would be preyed upon in the league, and he will have to resolve it quickly. Travis Head hasn’t played much T20 cricket, owing to Australia’s early exit from the T20 World Cup and the long test season before that.
Klaasen has the opposite issue, having spent much of his recent years in lower-tier franchise leagues. With Livingstone’s ousting from the English international set-up and recent injuries, the number of players playing at the highest level regularly is waning.
Also Read: IPL 2026 RCB Preview: Expected Lineup, Strengths, Weakness and Expectations
Starting Lineup
Brydon Carse is most likely to be SRH’s lead foreign pacer for the first half of the season. He is experienced and bowls in similar phases to Cummins, but has a lower ceiling in the format. A better option would be Eshan Malinga, who, when available, can be lethal with the new ball.
These pacers would most likely be supported by Harshal Patel, now a veteran at bowling in batting-friendly conditions, and one of the bountiful domestic seamers in Unadkat, Shivam Mavi, and Sakib Hussein, among others.
The duo of Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan is even more experienced after their T20 World Cup triumph. SRH would expect them to take more responsibility of runscoring from Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen. Klaasen, in particular, hasn’t been able to replicate his past form since international retirement and would fancy returning to form. R Smaran is a major talent and would make most IPL starting XIIs, but will have to wait his turn here.
Significant concerns in recent SRH sides have been the lack of experience in the middle order and spin departments. Liam Livingstone would provide great insurance in both departments. As he slots perfectly at number 6, the lower order will comprise two promising domestic prospects.
Both Aniket Verma and Harsh Dubey will be more comfortable with the IPL limelight this season, and should be given a long run. Zeeshan Ansari impressed last season and will have to lead the spin attack in the absence of Chahar and Zampa.
SRH’s Batting First Lineup
Abhishek/ Head/ Kishan(c)/ Klaasen(wk)/ Nitish Reddy/ Livingstone/ Verma/ Harsh Dubey/ Ansari/ Harshal/ Carse/ Unadkat
In case of Pat Cummins’ recovery from injury over the season, he would likely replace Brydon Carse from the lineup.
Players to Look out For
If 2025 was a season of transitions for Ishan Kishan, 2026 could establish him as an international superstar. The southpaw from Jharkhand comes at the back of a revolutionary stretch of form for both Jharkhand and India, and played a key role in the latter’s T20 World Cup win.
He showed glimpses of his talent last season, including a century in his first match for SRH against RR. He has now been announced as the interim captain for the franchise, and a great 2026 could well see him be the face of the franchise.
Harsh Dubey came into the side very late in 2025, but was effective with the ball and showed promise with the bat. He also fills a key spot in the line-up and adds depth to both batting and bowling. His appearance for India ‘A’ in the Emerging Asia Cup was a proof to his promise. This year, he will look to contribute more with the bat, while also holding SRH’s fragile spin attack together.
It is easy to lose patience with a player like Liam Livingstone. He has been well-rated since his first appearance in the IPL with RR, but has often failed to deliver. Many teams haven’t found a perfect role for him, which might be a concern with SRH, too. Yet on his day, Livingstone has a Russell-like knack for single-handedly changing matches. SRH will be hoping he shows up with 2-3 such performances.
Realistic Expectations
The popular phrase, ‘batters win you games, and bowlers win you tournaments,’ could be very true for SRH. They can secure some great victories. Their well-documented aim of crossing 300 is well within their reach. Yet, one can not see them consistently restricting the opposition to anything below 200.
This is also likely to be a long, weary IPL season for many players after regular international cricket, and that fatigue is more visible for SRH than for most teams. Another injury concern or an exhausted key player’s dip in form could be the tournament ending. While SRH might compete for the playoffs, they will likely have a difficult time securing a place.
Also Read: Top 10 Innings in IPL History
FAQs
1. Who is the player with the most runs for SRH in their history?
David Warner is the player with the most runs for SRH, with 4014 runs in 95 innings.
2. Which season did SRH win their first, and only title in?
SRH won their only IPL title in 2016, beating RCB in the finals.
3. Who is the leading wicket-taker in SRH history?
Bhubaneshwar Kumar is SRH’s all-time leader in wicket-takers with 157 scalps in 145 matches.
4. What is the official nickname of SRH?
The official nickname for SRH is the Orange Army.
5. Which year did SRH first feature in the IPL?
SRH first featured in the IPL in the 2013 season.
