The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) franchise, which soared to the final in the 2024 Indian Premier League, experienced a stark reversal of fortunes in the 2025 season. Their campaign proved deeply disappointing, failing to meet the heightened expectations set by their previous year's success.
A Season of Collective Failure
Despite entering the tournament with a squad that was strengthened from the 2024 season, the team struggled to find its rhythm. The core issue was a collective failure in both batting and bowling departments for the majority of the tournament. While a few combinations finally began to click during the final stages, it was a classic case of too little, too late to salvage their playoff hopes.
Strategic Overhaul for IPL 2026
In preparation for the 2026 season, SRH management made significant strategic moves at the auction table. They entered the IPL 2026 auction with a remaining purse of Rs 25.50 crore. The team had 10 vacant player slots to fill, with two of those designated for overseas stars.
The franchise placed its faith in a core group of retained players, headlined by Australian World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins, who will continue to lead the side. Other key retentions include explosive opener Travis Head, the promising Abhishek Sharma, and the powerful wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen.
SRH's Revised Squad Dynamics
The list of retained players for SRH's IPL 2026 campaign is: Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, and Zeeshan Ansari.
In a significant trade move, veteran pacer Mohammed Shami was traded to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The list of released players features several notable names, indicating a clear shift in strategy. Released players include Adam Zampa, Rahul Chahar, Wiaan Mulder, Abhinav Manohar, Atharva Taide, Sachin Baby, and Simarjeet Singh.
The focus now shifts to how SRH will utilize their substantial remaining purse and slots at the auction to build a balanced squad capable of returning to the pinnacle of the IPL, learning from the lessons of their underwhelming 2025 performance.
