Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis feels that Sunrisers Hyderabad will need to rely heavily on their explosive batting line-up if they want to mount a serious challenge in the 2026 Indian Premier League season. The 2016 IPL champions have set several batting and six-hit records in recent years, but their inability to consistently defend their title due to a lack of bowling depth has denied them another title.
Speaking on JioStar, Du Plessis said SRH’s line-up reminded him of the strong West Indies side in T20 cricket, who were destructive with the bat but lacked clear-cut options with the bat.
“When I see the Sunrisers, it almost reminds me of West Indies in the T20 World Cup, which is an extremely strong batting line-up. But when I see the team, I ask myself, who are my wicket-takers? Who am I going to throw the ball to from a captain’s perspective?
“Obviously, Cummins is the captain, so he’s the first choice. But apart from him, who are the others? Who are the two or three bowlers who are my bookmakers at the death, who are going to take wickets for me in the powerplay? Looking at the names, I’m not entirely sure who those guys are.
SRH may need to beat rivals
“So if they want to have a successful campaign, they have to bully the opponent’s bowlers and create scoreboard pressure by beating teams. Then when the opponent bats, they look at the scoreboard and chase 260 and they are out,” Du Plessis said on JioStar.
Former India pacer Laxmipathi Balaji also pointed out the bowling imbalance and felt that the trade of Mohammad Shami to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) was a blow to the team’s resources. “I was a bit surprised by the trade of Mohammad Shami between SRH and LSG. Of course, Harshar Patel is another option who has experience in death bowling.
“But apart from that, the bowling line-up looks thin. They have tried Jaydev Unadkat in the past, who will also bowl up front. Then there is Shivam Mavi, another bowler who has struggled with injuries over the years.
“They also don’t have a recognized first-choice option in the spin department. Yes, Zeeshan Ansari, a leg-spinner in the country, has done a good job. That’s probably why they might have to step up the pace and Ansari is their main spin option.”
England all-rounder Liam Livingstone is one of SRH’s high-profile batsmen heading into the new season, although Du Plessis is cautious about expectations from him, adding that he is yet to deliver on his considerable promise in a few IPL games.
“I think in this team, yes, there’s an over-reliance on bowler Pat Cummins. If you look at the way they’ve built the team, when you spend that much money on someone in the auction, you’re essentially saying, ‘He’s part of our playing lineup.’ So they said, ‘We want to pick the most destructive batting line-up in six overs in the IPL.’ “
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Livingston yet to reach full IPL potential
“They are all six batsmen. Liam Livingstone is an interesting one because if you look at his IPL career, you will see that he has not reached his full potential in almost every team he has played for. You would expect him to have a season where the Indians can really see what he is capable of, but he has not quite done that yet.
“So it’s interesting that teams continue to back him as a total package. I think it’s also because of the spin element that comes with it, that all-round players are worth money at auction. That’s probably why he’s costing so much money.”
Support Abhishek Sharma’s comeback
Topping the list is India opener Abhishek Sharma, who smashed 50 in the T20 World Cup final win over New Zealand in Ahmedabad last week. Du Plessis, however, backed Abhishek to quickly rediscover his best form, saying sluggish form before a good run in the final was a natural part of any top-order batsman’s journey.
“Expect a lot of backspin, but I feel Abhishek has performed very well in IPL cricket. This dip in form is normal. Every top-performing batsman goes through a season like what he is having now. So it’s just a case of staying strong in the face of challenges, keep doing the same things and keep focusing on your process.
“One day things change and things change again and then you have to make sure you ride that wave. Obviously, unfortunately for him, it happened on the world stage and everyone expected him to do well. He had an unbelievable year leading up to the World Cup. But he’s a good player, so I’m sure he’ll get back on his feet and dominate in the IPL very quickly.”