Key takeaways
- SRH finished 3rd in the 2026 league with nine wins, then lost the Eliminator to Rajasthan Royals.
- Heinrich Klaasen (624), Ishan Kishan (602), Abhishek Sharma (563) and Travis Head (410) all passed 400 runs.
- Eshan Malinga (20 wickets) led a young pace attack.
- Hyderabad is one of the best batting pitches in the country, and chasing teams have won more often there.
- On 5 November SRH traded Liam Livingstone and Jack Edwards to CSK for Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis.
SRH at a glance
| Captain | Pat Cummins (Ishan Kishan led the first seven matches of 2026) |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Daniel Vettori |
| Home ground | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad |
| IPL titles | 2016 |
| 2026 league stage | 3rd — 9 wins, 5 losses, 18 points |
| 2026 result | Lost the Eliminator to Rajasthan Royals |
| 2026 top run-scorer | Heinrich Klaasen, 624 |
| 2026 top wicket-taker | Eshan Malinga, 20 |
The 2026 season in brief
After missing the playoffs in 2025, SRH returned to the top four in 2026 with nine league wins, including a five-wicket win at Chennai that sealed qualification. Ishan Kishan captained the first seven matches before Pat Cummins took over. Their season ended in the Eliminator against Rajasthan Royals — the only one of their three games against Rajasthan that year that they lost.
SRH's identity did not change: a top and middle order built to score at speed, with Klaasen, Kishan, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head all among the leading run-scorers.
Squad by role (2026)
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Batters | Travis Head (overseas), Aniket Verma, Smaran Ravichandran |
| Wicket-keepers | Heinrich Klaasen (overseas), Ishan Kishan, Salil Arora |
| All-rounders | Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Liam Livingstone (overseas, since traded), Kamindu Mendis (overseas), Brydon Carse (overseas), Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Shivam Mavi |
| Pace bowlers | Pat Cummins (c, overseas), Eshan Malinga (overseas), Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge, Onkar Tarmale, David Payne (overseas) |
| Spin bowlers | Zeeshan Ansari, Amit Kumar, Krains Fuletra |
Jack Edwards was ruled out injured; David Payne joined as a replacement. Since the season, Zeeshan Ansari has been traded to Delhi Capitals for T Natarajan, and Livingstone and Edwards have gone to Chennai Super Kings for left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed (₹4.8 crore) and Australian quick Nathan Ellis (₹2 crore). See CSK and SRH complete a four-player trade.
Form and numbers from 2026
| Player | Role | 2026 numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Heinrich Klaasen | Wicket-keeper batter | 624 runs in 15 innings, strike rate 160 |
| Ishan Kishan | Wicket-keeper batter | 602 runs |
| Abhishek Sharma | All-rounder | 563 runs |
| Travis Head | Batter | 410 runs |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | All-rounder | 302 runs |
| Eshan Malinga | Pace bowler | 20 wickets, economy 9.33 |
| Sakib Hussain | Pace bowler | 15 wickets |
| Praful Hinge | Pace bowler | 14 wickets |
Two things stand out for fantasy. SRH had two wicket-keepers in the top two of their run list — Klaasen and Kishan — which makes the keeper slot especially strong in SRH-heavy teams. And their wickets came mostly from young seamers rather than the captain: Cummins took eight.
Core fantasy picks
- Heinrich Klaasen — 624 runs at a strike rate of 160; one of the most consistent wicket-keeper picks of the season.
- Abhishek Sharma — 563 runs and can bowl left-arm spin; an opener who can score a lot of points in the powerplay.
- Ishan Kishan — 602 runs; a second keeper-batter option.
- Eshan Malinga — 20 wickets; SRH's leading wicket-taker.
Value picks and differentials
- Travis Head — 410 runs in 2026; explosive at the top, and a good differential in matches where he is less picked than Klaasen and Abhishek.
- Nitish Kumar Reddy — 302 runs and medium pace; useful all-round value.
- Sakib Hussain and Praful Hinge — 15 and 14 wickets; cheaper seamers who took wickets regularly.
- Khaleel Ahmed — back at SRH after the trade from CSK; 15 wickets in 2025, but only five games in 2026 before injury. Check his fitness and whether he takes the new ball.
Always check the confirmed playing eleven and batting order after the toss.
Hyderabad: what the numbers say
The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is widely regarded as one of the best batting pitches in India: flat, with the ball coming nicely onto the bat. All-time IPL figures at the venue (88 matches, as of May 2026):
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average first-innings score | 163 |
| Wins batting first / chasing | 38 / 48 |
| Highest total | 286 |
| Highest successful chase | Target of 246 |
The all-time average undersells recent seasons: the ground's highest total and highest chase have both come in the last few years.
What it means for your team:
- Load up on top-order batters, from both sides — this is the best ground for batting captains.
- Chasing teams have won more often, and no target feels safe; after the toss, favour the chasing side's top order.
- Bowlers who take wickets still score well, even when expensive, but pick wicket-takers rather than economical holding bowlers.
Full venue breakdown — records, toss trends, pace vs spin and a pre-match checklist: Hyderabad pitch report. For a general routine, see pitch and conditions.
Matchups to check before each SRH game
- SRH's openers against the opposition new ball. Abhishek Sharma and Head attack from the first over; a visiting seamer who takes early wickets is a valuable differential.
- Klaasen against spin in the middle overs. He is SRH's middle-over accelerator; check his recent record against the opposition's spinners.
- Malinga, Hussain and Hinge against the opposition top order. SRH's young seamers took most of their wickets; an inconsistent visiting top order makes them good picks.
- Opposition batters at Hyderabad. On this pitch, the visiting side's openers can be strong picks too — especially when they chase.
Where to look: player profiles and head-to-head pages on ESPNcricinfo or the official IPL site list a batter's record against each bowler and bowling type.
Captaincy in SRH matches
- At Hyderabad: Klaasen, Abhishek Sharma or the chasing side's opener.
- Away on slower pitches: Abhishek Sharma, whose bowling gives him a second way to score.
- In mega contests: Travis Head, or an SRH seamer like Malinga, separates you from teams captained by Klaasen.
More on choosing: captain and vice-captain.
Recent head-to-head (2025–2026)
SRH's results against the other nine teams over the last two seasons, including playoffs. Washed-out games are shown as no result and not counted.
| Opponent | 2025 | 2026 | SRH won–lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chennai Super Kings | Won | Won, won | 3–0 |
| Delhi Capitals | Lost, no result | Won | 1–1 |
| Gujarat Titans | Lost, lost | Lost | 0–3 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Lost, won | Won, lost | 2–2 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Lost, won | Lost | 1–2 |
| Mumbai Indians | Lost, lost | Won | 1–2 |
| Punjab Kings | Won | Lost, won | 2–1 |
| Rajasthan Royals | Won | Won, won, lost (Eliminator) | 3–1 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Won | Lost, won | 2–1 |
Treat these results as context, not a prediction. SRH have won their last three games against Chennai Super Kings, but lost all three of their recent games against Gujarat Titans.
What to watch before IPL 2027
- 17 November — retentions. Even after trading Livingstone and Edwards, SRH's overseas core (Klaasen, Head, Cummins, Malinga, plus Ellis) will not all fit; who they keep decides most of the picks above.
- 16 December — auction. A wicket-taking spinner would round out an attack that relied heavily on pace in 2026.
- Fixtures (expected early 2027). Home games in Hyderabad are the best fixtures of the season for batters on both sides.
Sources
- ThePrint (PTI), Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad agree to four-player trade, 5 November 2026 — CSK–SRH trade and fees.
- The Tribune (ANI), IPL extends deadline for retention lists to November 17, 2 November 2026 — retention deadline.
- Wikipedia, 2026 Sunrisers Hyderabad season — squad, captains, record, run and wicket tallies.
- Wikipedia, 2025 Sunrisers Hyderabad season — 2025 results.
- 2026 results against each opponent are taken from the opponents' 2026 season pages on Wikipedia, which all agree.
- Sporting News via Yahoo Sports, IPL Orange Cap 2026 list — Klaasen's runs and strike rate.
- MyKhel, IPL 2026 Purple Cap: top 10 wicket-takers — Malinga's wickets and economy.
- CricTracker, SRH vs PBKS: IPL 2026 records and stats at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, May 2026 — updated venue figures.
- CricTracker, SRH vs LSG: IPL 2026 records and stats at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, April 2026 — venue figures and pitch notes.