'Batting Isn't Enough': Ex-India Star Flags Major Weakness in Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad
With regular captain Pat Cummins set to miss the first few games due to an injury, Ishan Kishan will step in as the stand-in skipper.
Former India wicketkeeper-batter Robin Uthappa has delivered a harsh verdict on Sunrisers Hyderabad's squad ahead of the upcoming IPL 2026 season. With regular captain Pat Cummins set to miss the first few games due to an injury, Ishan Kishan will step in as the stand-in skipper. Although SRH boast explosive batters such as Kishan, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Liam Livingstone, and others, Uthappa believes the Hyderabad-based franchise lacks depth in the bowling departmen, something he feels could prove costly this season.
Speaking on JioHotstar, Uthappa explained why SRH's aggressive, power-packed batting approach alone will not be enough for them to challenge for the IPL trophy.
"SRH's aggressive batting is entertaining to watch. But batting like that won't help them win the IPL. Their bowling is a bit on the weaker side. Bowlers are the ones who make you win the trophy," said Uthappa.
Shivam Mavi, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Harshal Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy are the fast-bowling options of the SRH, with Harsh Dubey and Zeeshan Ansari leading the spin-bowling.
Uthappa suggested that SRH's bowling is a concern and the bowlers need to bowl with not too much pace on Hyderabad's 'flat wickets'.
"In Hyderabad, where they play seven matches, the pitch is a batting paradise. It is a super belter wicket. Even someone like Mohammed Shami could not be penetrative on those flat wickets. You need a bowler like Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He is a very clever guy. He swings the ball, changes pace, bowls yorkers. At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, you don't want to put too much pace on the ball because the ball does not seam around much. I don't think SRH have the bowling unit right now that can back the instability their aggressive batting can cause if the top order does not fire."
SRH suffered a big blow ahead of the season when their skipper, Pat Cummins, was ruled out of the first few matches due to an injury. Ishan Kishan will lead the franchise in his absence.
Uthappa also stressed that SRH's bowling has failed to defend whenever their batters have failed to score a big total.
"We saw what happened last season. Apart from Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen, no other batter was able to step up. When the top order failed, the bowlers were not able to defend the totals. So I won't consider SRH as a serious title contender this season," concluded Uthappa.
(With ANI Inputs)
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Pat Cummins
Robin Uthappa