Sakib Hussain has been one of the best bowlers for SRH so far in IPL 2026, even though he has played only three matches.
In IPL 2026, which is also his debut season, Sakib Hussain has taken six wickets in three matches and has bowled at an economy rate of 7.08.
In the recent match against Delhi Capitals, every other SRH bowler who bowled their full quota of overs conceded more than eight runs per over, whereas Sakib bowled a spell of 1/29.
Before that, in the match against Chennai Super Kings, he conceded only 32 runs in his four overs while defending a target of 195.
Sakib came into the limelight in his debut match itself, which was against Rajasthan Royals, where he took four wickets and conceded only 24 runs in his spell.
Sakib Hussain is difficult to face because of his variations and control. He can bowl fast and then suddenly bowl a slower ball, which is making the batters very difficult to adjust. His slower ball is especially dangerous because it turns a lot and does not come onto the bat easily.
He also bowls with the same action every time, so batters cannot easily pick whether it is a fast ball or a slower one. His ability to bowl accurate yorkers adds more pressure, as it limits scoring options.
SRH bowling coach Varun Aaron after the match against Delhi Capitals explained that Sakib’s slower ball is so effective that it almost behaves like a spinner’s delivery, and combined with his pace and execution, it makes him very unpredictable.
“With Sakib, that slow ball is just brilliant. He’s almost getting as much turn as an off-spinner on the slow ball. Same arm speed, executes his yorkers, can bowl 140 plus as well. So with the way the game is headed and with the way IPL is going, you have to have that pace variance where you can go from 140, 145 down to almost 107,” Aaron said at the post match press conference.
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Sakib Hussain has strengthened the SRH bowling attack by giving them flexibility and control in all phases of the game. He has proven that he can bowl anywhere, whether it is with the new ball in the powerplay or in the pressure overs at the death.
Before he came into the playing XI, SRH had lost three of their first matches. They suffered setbacks as pacers like Brydon Carse and David Payne have been ruled out of the tournament due to injury. Also, Pat Cummins is yet to play his first match of the season. They tried pacers like Jaydev Unadkat and Harshal Patel, but they were not as effective.
But since Sakib’s inclusion, they have won all three matches and successfully defended the total each time. This shows the instant impact he has made in the bowling attack.
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