They have a remaining purse of INR 25.5 crore.
With the IPL 2026 auction inching closer, all the franchises will be going through their strategy. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) made a few interesting calls ahead of the auction, which is set to take place on December 16. Who will be amongst the SRH target players would be interesting to see.
Sunrisers Hyderabad had traded out Mohammed Shami ahead of the retention deadline, freeing up INR 10 crore. Later they released Adam Zampa, Rahul Chahar, and Abhinav Manohar along with other fringe players. Heading into the event, SRH will have a budget of INR 25.5, the third best behind Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings. With that budget, one SRH target will be to find a good backup for Pat Cummins.
SRH captain Pat Cummins was retained by the franchise ahead of the 2025 mega auction for INR 18 crore. They had a disappointing season this year but they have continued to back him. The Australian superstar, however, is a major doubt for the upcoming edition.
Cummins has been dealing with a serious back injury that has kept him out of action for over two months. He has missed the first two Tests of the ongoing Ashes 2025. While his return looks imminent, how his body will hold up in the coming months remains to be seen.
After back injuries, it takes a while for bowlers to get back to their full fitness and rhythm. Moreover, there’s a high possibility Cummins’ workload could be managed by Australia, and he might be unavailable in the IPL 2026. Which is why it would be wise if SRH target a top quality pacer as a backup.
Sunrisers Hyderabad do have Brydon Carse in their squad but he is also injury prone and could be managed by England. Ideally, they would like to have another pacer in their arsenal. Here we take a look at three players that could be in SRH target players at IPL 2026 auction.
The New Zealand stalwart has been in magnificent across formats in the last couple of years. Matt Henry has bagged 45 wickets from 28 innings in the shorter format this year at an economy of 7.33. He is an excellent operator of the new ball, and can win you the game in the powerplay itself. Henry has also become a reliable middle and death overs bowler. An all-phase bowler like him would be the perfect backup to Cummins.
Another New Zealander who could be in the SRH target list at IPL 2026 auction is Jacob Duffy. He has been terrific in the shorter format this year, picking up 58 wickets from 40 games at an economy of 7.90. Duffy doesn’t have much experience in Indian conditions but has the ability to succeed. He could be a pretty good backup with the ability to bowl in all phases.
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The South African pacer was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders squad last season. But form and fitness issues plagued him and he had a disappointing campaign. He returned to action during the CSA T20 Challenge, where he did a good job. Nortje took 11 wickets from eight innings at an economy of 7.47. The Proteas star could be a good backup for Cummins.
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