SRH probable playing 11 for IPL 2026 after auction

Published - 18 Dec 2025, 15:57 IST | Updated - 18 Dec 2025, 16:01 IST

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) boasted one of the strongest squads in IPL 2025, featuring players like Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Pat Cummins, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Heinrich Klaasen. Despite this formidable lineup, SRH failed to finish in the top four last season. Ahead of IPL 2026, they acquired several young talents through the mini-auction and added experienced names such as Liam Livingstone, Jack Edwards, and Salil Arora. Here let us take a look at SRH’s predicted playing XI for the upcoming season.

SRH is expected to retain the same top-order combination. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma will open the innings. Head scored over 300 runs in IPL 2025, although his impact was somewhat inconsistent. Abhishek Sharma has been a standout performer, scoring more than 400 runs in IPL 2024 and 2025, and has been exceptional for India in T20Is, currently holding the No. 1 ICC T20I batting ranking.

At No. 3, Ishan Kishan will anchor the middle of the innings. His IPL 2025 numbers were modest, scoring just over 300 runs. However, he led Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025 final and displayed impressive form with the bat. If he carries this momentum into IPL 2026, he could make a significant impact for SRH.