The Sunrisers Hyderabad, representing the IPL, the Orange army, have a budget of ₹25.50 crore ready for the IPL 2026 auction.
The trading of Mohammed Shami to Lucknow Super Giants was a major change made by Sunrisers Hyderabad and only then did they communicate the annual players’ retentions and releases. However, the 2016 IPL winners will now redirect their attention to auctioned players of SRH under the IPL 2026 on December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
Bar the appointment of Pat Cummins as their captain, the franchise has embraced a new and aggressive approach to playing the game. Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, the openers, are known to take the bowlers to the cleaners from the very first ball, and the management has given the players the freedom to follow their instincts.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad will be a well-prepared team for the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) by covering most of their bases, but they also want to have a few spots filled with backups. However, one of the things they will have to consider in the SRH targets list would be picking a quality spinner to support the likes of Zeeshan Ansari, one of their retentions.
The following are five players that Sunrisers Hyderabad are most likely to bid for in the forthcoming IPL 2026 auction.
SRH Possible Targets for IPL 2026 Auction
Ravi Bishnoi
The leg-spinner from Rajasthan was let go by LSG before the IPL 2026 auction. His expertise in turning the ball at pace can be of great benefit to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Ravi Bishnoi had a bad season in 2025 but still, he has the potential to be one of the most promising spin bowlers in the future. To add to that, the franchise loves having leg-spinners who bowl rapidly, and Bishnoi might just match that criterion in SRH targets.
Ravi Bishnoi IPL Stats
| Mat | Inns | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 | 76 | 72 | 3/24 | 3/24 | 31.06 | 8.21 | 22.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jonny Bairstow
The Sunrisers Hyderabad have definitely found their top order. As long as the pairing of Abhishek and Head continues the same way they have been playing for the last few years the management won’t have to consider changing anything in the top order.
But bad form or injuries are never announced, and if that happens, the name of Jonny Bairstow will be one of the best in the list of SRH targets. The English wicketkeeper-batter will not only help to maintain the pace but also demonstrate his aggressive nature of play on the international stage.
Jonny Bairstow IPL Stats
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Highest | Average | SR | Fours | Sixes | 50s | 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | 52 | 1674 | 114 | 34.88 | 146.08 | 173 | 74 | 9 | 2 |
Wanindu Hasaranga
Sunrisers Hyderabad released Adam Zampa before the IPL 2026 auction, but they could still be eyeing Wanindu Hasaranga. Zeeshan Ansari, who is their primary pick, is also a leg-spinner, however, Hasaranga will be a great addition in terms of experience.
One of the reasons could be that Abhishek Sharma can also bowl if required. But the team would want a spinner who can draw the ball away from the left-hander. And Hasaranga with his googly can be that option, in case Ravi Bishnoi is not available.
Wanindu Hasaranga IPL Stats
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Avg | Eco | SR | BBI | BBM | 4w | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 37 | 46 | 24.33 | 8.41 | 17.35 | 5/18 | 5/18 | 2 | 1 |
Mohit Sharma
The Orange Army are already having Harshal Patel in the group to handle the death overs. With INR 25.50 crore at their disposal, the franchise can afford to play aggressively for Mohit Sharma to be one of the targets of SRH, evaluating his performance in the tournament during the last couple of seasons.
Moreover, the Indian right-handed pacer has an outstanding back-of-the-hand slower delivery which he uses to handle the death over attack, and will be a great support in a place like Hyderabad, where controlling the flow of runs becomes a bit difficult, particularly at the death stage of an innings.
Mohit Sharma IPL Stats
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Avg | Econ | SR | BBI | BBM | 4w | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 119 | 134 | 26.22 | 8.77 | 17.93 | 5/10 | 5/10 | 3 | 1 |
Akash Madhwal
The Rajasthan Royals (RR) decision to part ways with the speedster did not come as a surprise. However, that does not diminish Akash Madhwal’s contribution to the tournament over the years. The bowler had been with the Mumbai Indians before and performed well in the 2023 season, with 14 wickets in 8 matches.
In addition, the 32-year-old pacer is characterized as precise in the dying stages of the game, which should enable the team to restrict the opposition to a very low score. The Orange Army has a big enough budget to pursue Madhwal, one of the targets of the SRH in the IPL 2026 auction, being a good one.
Akash Madhwal IPL Stats
| Matches | Wickets | Avg | Eco | SR | BBI | BBM | 4w | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 23 | 25.65 | 10.06 | 15.3 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 1 | 1 |
