Big hits, powerful bowling, and the Orange Army cheering. That’s Sunrisers Hyderabad for you. This amazing team reached the finals in IPL 2024 but had a terrible 2025 season. They finished 6th and struggled badly.
After finishing as runners-up in 2024, SRH had high hopes for 2025. But under captain Pat Cummins, nothing went right. The batters could not score big, and the bowlers gave away too many runs.
Now the IPL 2026 auction is coming. SRH wants to keep their best players and build a strong team around them. They will focus on players who performed well and have big potential.
SRH Retained Players for IPL 2026 (Predicted)
Here are the 7 players SRH might keep:
Player Name | Role |
---|---|
Pat Cummins (Captain) | Bowler |
Travis Head | Batter |
Abhishek Sharma | All-Rounder |
Heinrich Klaasen | Wicket-Keeper Batter |
Atharva Taide | Batter |
Nitish Reddy | All-Rounder |
Jaydev Unadkat | Bowler |
1. Pat Cummins (Captain & Bowler)
Pat Cummins will stay as captain of SRH. He is one of the best fast bowlers in the world. He can bowl fast, take important wickets, and lead the team smartly.
Even though SRH finished 6th in 2025, the owners trust Cummins. He has great experience playing for Australia. He knows how to handle pressure situations and guide young players.
Why keep him? World-class bowler, smart captain, and experienced leader. SRH needs his skills badly.
2. Travis Head (Batter)
Travis Head is SRH’s main opening batter. He can score runs very fast and hit big sixes from the first ball. He gives SRH powerful starts that put pressure on other teams.
In IPL 2024, Head was amazing. He scored lots of runs and helped SRH reach the finals. He is one of the most dangerous opening batters in the IPL. Fans love watching him bat.
Why keep him? Best opening batter for SRH. Scores quickly and wins matches single-handedly.
3. Abhishek Sharma (All-Rounder)
Abhishek Sharma opens the batting with Travis Head. He is a young Indian all-rounder who can bat and bowl. He hits huge sixes and can bowl some useful overs too.
Abhishek is still young but has shown great talent. He can become one of the biggest stars in Indian cricket. SRH believes in his ability and wants to build the team around him.
Why keep him? Young superstar with big-hitting ability. Future captain material for SRH.
4. Heinrich Klaasen (WicketKeeper-Batter)
Heinrich Klaasen is SRH’s best finisher. He bats in the middle order and hits massive sixes in the last overs. SRH had retained Klaasen for INR 23 crore last season and was the most expensive player on the retention list.
Finding another finisher like Klaasen is almost impossible. He is one of the most powerful hitters in world cricket. Even though his salary is very high, SRH cannot afford to lose him.
Why keep him? Best finisher in the team. Hits huge sixes and wins impossible matches.
5. Atharva Taide (Batter)
Atharva Taide is a young Indian batter with lots of promise. He can open or bat in the middle order. He plays both fast bowlers and spinners very well.
SRH believes Taide will become a big player in the future. Young Indian players are very valuable in the IPL because they don’t take foreign spots and cost less money.
Why keep him? Promising young talent. Can become a top Indian batter in future.
6. Nitish Reddy (All-Rounder)
Nitish Reddy is a talented young all-rounder from India. He can bat in the middle order and bowl fast too. He does both jobs well and gives balance to the team.
In 2025, Nitish showed good skills in the few chances he got. SRH wants to give him more opportunities to grow. All-rounders like him are very important for winning matches.
Why keep him? Young all-rounder with great potential. Can bat and bowl both.
7. Jaydev Unadkat (Bowler)
Jaydev Unadkat is an experienced Indian fast bowler. He can bowl well in the death overs and take important wickets. He knows how to handle pressure in tight matches.
Having experienced Indian bowlers is important for team balance. Unadkat has played IPL for many years and knows all the tricks. He can guide young bowlers.
Why keep him? Experienced death-over specialist. Smart bowler who knows the game well.
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Conclusion: SRH Will Have Strong Core for IPL 2026
After a disappointing 2025, SRH might keep 7 strong players. This core group has the right mix of experience and youth. They have powerful batters, smart bowlers, and talented all-rounders.
Pat Cummins and Travis Head bring world-class quality. Abhishek Sharma and Nitish Reddy are the future stars. Heinrich Klaasen gives finishing power. Atharva Taide and Jaydev Unadkat add depth.
With these 7 players as the base, SRH can build a winning team at the auction. If they buy smartly and add the right players, the Orange Army can roar back in IPL 2026!
FAQs
SRH will keep only their best and most reliable players. These 7 players performed well or have big potential for the future. Keeping fewer players gives SRH more money to buy new talent at the auction. They can build a fresh team around this strong core and fix their weak areas.
He is one of the best finishers in world cricket, and SRH has no other player like him. His ability to hit huge sixes in the last overs is priceless. Finding a replacement for Klaasen is almost impossible. So SRH will keep him even though his salary is very high.
Pat Cummins will continue as captain. He is a world-class bowler and experienced leader. Even though the team finished 6th in 2025, the management trusts his leadership skills. Cummins led Australia to World Cup victory and knows how to build winning teams. He is the perfect captain for SRH’s future.
Young Indian players are very valuable in the IPL. They don’t take up foreign player spots, which means SRH can have more international stars. They also cost less money than experienced players. Most importantly, youngsters like Abhishek and Nitish have huge potential. They can become superstars and play for SRH for many years.
SRH has a good balance. They have 2 opening batters (Head and Abhishek), 1 middle-order finisher (Klaasen), 1 backup batter (Taide), 2 all-rounders (Abhishek and Nitish), and 2 specialist bowlers (Cummins and Unadkat). This mix gives them options for different situations. Now they need to buy more bowlers and one more finisher at the auction.
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