IPL 2026, SRH – Powerful batting unit once again hogs the limelight

SRH players. Image: SRH-X

Overview:

On a rather pleasant Thursday in Bengaluru, one could observe the Chinnaswamy stadium bustling with activity. A few spectator-holding capacities were in place. A fire brigade service could also be seen. Meanwhile, the electricians and carpenters were giving the final touches to their respective tasks.

Amidst all the hustle and bustle, SRH went about their practice session inside the stadium. Nitish Reddy, who could even be entrusted to bowl in the Powerplay, seemed to have made a few tweaks to his mechanics. He had a long stint at the nets and seemed to be bowling a tad quicker. All eyes, though, were on some of SRH’s power-hitters. As Ishan Kishan, the interim captain, did a few light drills, somewhere in one of the side nets, Heinrich Klaasen was in a mood to play power-packed shots against the spinners. Looking at the dimensions at the Chinnaswamy,  those willowy-batters might cause some mayhem.

Where is Pat Cummins?

The one missing link in the practice session was their captain, Cummins. Cummins, one of the spearheads of the attack and known for his hitting prowess, hasn’t completely recovered from his back injury. Although Cummins has linked up with the squad, he isn’t expected to play during the initial stages of the tournament.

Can they rectify the negatives from the last IPL?

In the recent past, their bowling department has come under scrutiny. In last year’s IPL, they had the second-worst economy rate in the PowerPlay – 10.29. Although SRH’s bowlers combined to take 20 wickets in that phase of the innings, it was offset by the high economy rate. The spin-bowling department also underperformed – The tweakers took a mere 15 wickets in total at 47.33. The only caveat being a slew of catches dropped off Zeeshan Ansari’s bowling.

To solidify their spin resources, SRH have added Krains Fuletra and Shivang Kumar, the two promising left-arm wrist spinners. Harsh Dubey, who has gained a reputation for his accurate left-arm spin bowling, could secure a place in the XI.

The Ishan Kishan factor

Kishan won’t just captain the franchise in Cummins’ absence, but he is also one of the vital cogs of the batting unit. Since his comeback, the left-hand batter has notched up impressive strike rates of 231.8 against New Zealand in a bilateral series followed by 193.29 in the T20 World Cup. If Kishan finds his mojo, then it would help Travishek (Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head) to play with even more freedom. SRH have also tried to strengthen the lower-middle-order by adding Liam Livingstone to the roster.

Did you know?

Despite Head and Abhishek not exactly having a great 2025 IPL season, the swashbuckling opening pair still scored their runs at a run-rate of 11.47. The duet shared a game-breaking opening stand of 171 off just 75 deliveries against Punjab Kings.

Likely XI (if all of their players are fit):

Abhishek Sharma,Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Liam Livingstone, Aniket Verma, Pat Cummins (c), Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat. The likes of Zeeshan Ansari and Shivang Kumar could come into the equation as impact subs.

With Pat Cummins set to not partake in the first few games of the tournament, Brydon Carse and Ehsan Malinga could be competing for one place in the XI. Malinga has quietly gained a reputation for his deceptive cutters while Carse brings hit-the-deck skills alongside powerful blows down the order.

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