IPL 2026: The Smooth and Silent Rise of the Sunrisers Hyderabad

When the season started, the Sunrisers Hyderabad were at a roadblock. Their bowling attack was non-existent, and with Pat Cummins out of the initial parts of the tournament, they had absolutely nobody to turn to by the looks of it. The team was built on batting might with the thought of only having to outscore the opposition.

They had the same plan in IPL 2025, but that went against them. With Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma in consistent form, the line-up struggled to impose with the bat. Heinrich Klaasen was their highest scorer, but without a platform, he was not given an ideal entry point to make a mark. A sixth-place finish it was, which is not too bad but could be better given the batting power they possess.

In 2026, a similar story looked likely. They started the tournament scoring 200+ in three of their first four games, but the bowling attack did not have the bite to compete. Three losses in the first four games, and the tournament looked like it was going to be a repeat of 2025. 

Game five, though, saw the shift in momentum. Two debutants in Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain, made their entries with four wickets each against Rajasthan. The stage was set. Eshan Malinga started to chip in as well and is now silently a purple cap contender. With three pacers doing the job and the return of Pat Cummins, the bowling attack seems to have found its bite again.

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The main transition, though, has been with the bat. Heinrich Klaasen has been very consistent once again, with a lowest score of 29 in nine matches. His consistency has been unmatched, and this time, he has support in the form of Abhishek Sharma. Facing daunting targets, Abhishek Sharma's return to form has made a huge mark with four scores over 40 in the last four games, while he also helped conquer 220+ totals twice in a row.

With the duo doing a fine job and Travis Head starting to chip in as well, the batting has started to fall in place. The bowling attack, too, which looked non-existent at one point, is finding its feet with Eshan Malinga proving to be a handful with changes of pace. The Sunrisers have silently marched to five wins in a row and look like a very commanding unit now. They are doing the little things right at the moment, and with 12 points on the board, they are strong contenders, having started slow, very similar to their story in 2016.