The runners-up of the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Sunrisers Hyderabad, who went though an excellent season thanks to some incredible batting and bowling performances under the captaincy of Pat Cummins, couldn’t repeat the same dominance in the recent edition and ended at the sixth position in the points table to earn just six victories in 14 encounters at a net run rate of -0.241. 

Sunrisers started their campaign with a 44-run IPL victory against the Rajasthan Royals at home before facing four successive defeats in the event. By the time they grabbed three consecutive victories in the business end of the competition against Lucknow, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, it was too late for the side.

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Looking ahead to the 2026 edition, Hyderabad will need to make some changes to the playing eleven and, more importantly, to the squad. They could also leave a few players with an aim to get them back for a low price during the mini auction of the next season.

Let’s take a look at the five players that the Sunrisers Hyderabad might release before IPL 2026, featuring Ishan Kishan.

5. Ishan Kishan

The left-handed Indian wicket-keeper batter, Ishan Kishan, came into the franchise for a huge price of INR 11.25 crore and scored a century in the opening clash against Rajasthan. But he couldn’t hold the same form and rhythm for the rest of the season and ended with just 354 runs in 13 innings at an average of 35.40 and a strike rate of 152.58.

Kishan has scored over 300 runs in the last four editions of the tournament. The SRH management can aim to get the batter back in the squad during the mini auction. On many occasions, the southpaw struggled to get going from the start, which was a concern for the franchise.

4. Mohammed Shami

During a recent interaction with India’s veteran and one of the premier pacers, Mohammed Shami, the fast bowler revealed that he could keep cards and doors open to get selected in other franchises for the next season of the IPL. The right-arm pacer couldn’t find his right line and length in most games and was bashed for several runs, which cost the 2016 champions in the power play.

Shami, who has collected 133 IPL wickets in 119 innings at an average of under 29 and a strike rate of below 20 with an economy rate of 8.63, thanks to the two four-wicket hauls in an inning, has bagged only six scalps in nine innings in 2025 at an economy rate of over 11.

Looking at how Shami has performed in his international career in recent years, it would be wiser for the franchise to leave the Bengal pacer and get him back for a lower price than INR 10 crore.

3. Abhinav Manorhar

Abhinav Manohar, the former Gujarat Titans player, came to the Sunrisers Hyderabad side last season for a price of INR 3.20 crore. He was known for his incredible aggression with the bat in the lower order to help the franchise give a good finish. But he somehow failed to repeat the same thing during the last edition of the event.

Manohar, who clubbed 114 runs in six IPL innings at an average of 19 and a strike rate of over 137 in 2023, got just 61 runs in five innings of the IPL 2025 at a strike rate of only 100. On many occasions, he failed to offer them a good finish in the lower order.

Either the Sunrisers could think of changing the player or bring him back for a lower price for the new edition.

2. Adam Zampa

It’s incredibly hard to believe how the veteran Australian leg spinner, Adam Zampa, despite being one of the successful white-ball bowlers of the national side, hasn’t been able to crack the IPL code yet. Sunrisers brought him after releasing Wanindu Hasaranga. But the 33-year-old in two innings of the IPL 2025 picked up only a couple of wickets at an average of 47 and an economy rate of nearly 12.

Zampa’s T20 experience isn’t new, with him collecting 386 wickets in 307 T20 innings at an average of 21.53 and an economy rate of 7.48. Hyderabad can think of getting better options than the spinner, whom they bagged for a price of INR 2.40 crore.

1. Rahul Chahar

The 26-year-old Indian leg spinner, Rahul Chahar, was at times one of the vital members of the eleven for the Mumbai Indians when they won the IPL 2020. But his form has gone down in the last couple of seasons of the league.

In 2025, he came to the franchise for a price of INR 3.20 crore and could not open his account in the solitary game he played at the Wankhede against the Mumbai franchise. Even in that clash, he bowled just one over, and he could be one of the bowlers to get left out of the side.

Abhinav Manohar is on song. In two back-to-back matches, the middle-order batter smashed two consecutive fifties for the Maharaja Trophy T20 side Hubli Tigers. During the Qualifier 1 match between Mangalore Dragons and Hubli Tigers, Manohar came late to the crease and ran over the Mangalore bowlers to complete his fifty and confirmed the hundred-plus total for his team.

Batting first, Hubli registered 210 against only two wickets in the crucial game of the tournament. Skipper Devdutt Padikkal came to open the innings and paved the path for destruction, which was precisely done by his teammate Manohar.

Padikkal remained not out for 99, missing the century only by 1 run, while Abhinav lost his wicket, scoring 50 off only 23. The five boundaries and three over boundaries took his strike rate to above two hundred. Hubli Tigers won Qualifier 1 with ease. Mangalore Dragons lost all of their wickets with 100 runs on the scoreboard. Hubli Tigers won by 110 runs.

Abhinav delivered a power-packed batting show 🔥

Abhinav Manohar | #PlayWithFire pic.twitter.com/JDHxpHX6lP

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) August 26, 2025

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Manohar's previous 50 in the tournament 

Before Qualifier 1, in match 29, Manohar played an outstanding unbeaten 63-run knock against Namma Shivamogga. In the 63-run innings against Shivamogga, the right-handed batter hit five boundaries and 3 over boundaries to maintain a strike rate of 180.00 after facing 35 deliveries. Manohar's IPL 2025 journey with Sunrisers Hyderabad was not a sweet reality; it was a disappointing season for the Karnataka-born.

Before the tournament, when IPL 2025 was already over, Manohar had to lie down in bed because of illness. At first, he had to suffer from jaundice and then a viral fever. Through the ongoing tournament, he started to get back his natural rhythm. 

Will Abhinav Manohar's run drought come to an end? He played an outstanding unbeaten 63-run knock in match 29 of the ongoing Maharaja Trophy T20 2025. Manohar and Krishnan Shrijith's authoritative batting cornered Namma Shivamogga bowlers. The power-hitter duo took their team, Hubli Tigers, to a total of 195, batting first.

Like the bowlers, Shivamogga batters too were looking clueless and bundled for only 90 runs while chasing the competitive target of 196. Manohar is one of the most expensive players in this season's Maharaja Trophy T20 tournament. Because of his hard-hitting abilities and experience in playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), cricket fans have high hopes for the middle-order batsman.

Manohar's IPL 2025 journey with Sunrisers Hyderabad was not a sweet reality; it was a disappointing season for the Karnataka-born. Today's match (August 25, 2025) can be a turning point, marking the end of his run drought. In the 63-run innings against Shivamogga, the right-handed batter hit five boundaries and 3 over boundaries to maintain a strike rate of 180.00 after facing 35 deliveries.

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Manohar went through a tough time 

Before the tournament, when IPL 2025 was already over, Manohar had to lie down in bed because of illness. At first, he had to suffer from jaundice and then a viral fever. "Back-to-back illnesses have taken a toll on my body. But that happens, I mean. I'm just focusing on getting fit now. "Fit and healthy, basically," he said in a media conversation. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad wanted to shape Manohar into a pure finisher, one of the most crucial and hard roles for any batter. It was a new assignment and a challenge for the batter. His IPL journey, as previously mentioned, was not a pleasant one, but he learned a lot during this period, which was reflected in today's game when he was on full flow. "Six-hitting just became very natural to me. From a young age, I've been able to do it. And I realized that that is my strength. And I decided to go with it and not change my batting," he added. 

Abhinav Manohar's well-built 43 of 37-ball innings came to an end with a hit wicket. The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter went deep into the crease to face Trent Boult and swung his bat at the stumps. An unusual way to end an inning. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad vs. Mumbai Indians (MI), a game of IPL 2025, is loaded with unfamiliar events. From Ishan Kishan's bizarre caught-behind-the-stump decision to Manohar's hit wickets, cricket fans were not expecting to witness those, but it happened.

Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar disturbed SRH's top order with the new ball; the host team lost 4 for only 13 on the scoreboard. Heinrich Klaasen and Abhinav Manohar came into the field to rescue Hyderabad. The South African batter scored 71 and 43 for Abhinav; he could have achieved his fifty easily, but a wrong decision changed the complexion of the game, and SRH in 20 overs achieved only 143. 

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Manohar hits both stumps and the ball

It was the fourth ball of the last over of the first innings; Trent Boult was the bowler, and Manohar was on strike. The New Zealand pacer went for an accurate yorker, whereas the young batter had already shifted his moment on the backfoot and angled his bat in hope for a cheeky shot, but his calculation was wrong. 

Watch the moment here:

Now a hit wicket by abhinav manohar🤨🧐#SRHvsMI https://t.co/qbgn4DDyLJ pic.twitter.com/31rsWB5KeW

— 𝐙𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫_𝐁𝐚𝐣𝐰𝐚 (@StoneCold0008) April 23, 2025

The ball landed right in front of his toss, and Manohar swings his bat right on the stumps, with the ball too, uprooting the wickets. Trent Boult completed his 4-over spell with 4 scalps and a 6.5 economy rate. Chahar, on the other hand, bagged 2 scalps in 4 overs for a 3.00 economy rate. 

35th Match, IPL: Gujarat Titans 207 for 6 (Gill 56, David Miller 46, Abhinav Manohar 42, Chawla 2-34) beat Mumbai Indians 152 for 9 (Wadhera 40, Green 33, Noor 3-37, Rashid 2-27) by 55 runs

The hosts steamrolled Mumbai Indians for their second consecutive loss on a hot and humid evening in Ahmedabad thanks to fireworks batted by Gujarat Titans in the final overs and five wickets shared by Afghan spinners Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad. Titans jumped to second place with 10 points, equal to Chennai Super Kings, the table-toppers, after defending the big score of 207 for 6 comfortably.

With Jofra Archer out with an illness, Arjun Tendulkar not bowling in that phase, and Mumbai’s quicks leaking 70 runs in the final four overs, after conceding 65 runs in the same phase against Punjab Kings in their previous game, Mumbai’s death bowling came back into the spotlight.

Mumbai’s batting power faltered against Afghanistan’s spin duo, as only one of their top six crossed 25 and they were reduced to 59 for 5 in the 11th over after Shubman Gill’s fifty and a boundary-laden partnership of 71 off just 35 balls between Abhinav Manohar and David Miller for the fifth wicket. Mumbai lost by 55 runs after being reduced to 59 for 5.

Gill lays the platform

Tendulkar kept it tight with his inswing from the beginning that had Wriddhiman Saha gotten down leg and alongside Jason Behrendorff, he held Titans to 33 for 1 after five overs. With a powerful pull, a scythe through off, and a stunning lofted straight drive for six, Gill then kicked off his assault by milking Cameron Green for 17 in the final powerplay over to push the run rate past eight.

Mumbai welcomed on Piyush Chawla right away and Hardik Pandya holed out to long-off promptly for 13. However, Gill’s pace was unaffected by that. He penetrated Chawla through the covers for four and crushed Kumar Kartikeya to the leg side next over to arrive at a 30-ball fifty and lead Titans to 84 for 2 at the midway imprint.

The take off from Abhinav Manohar and Miller (and Tewatia)

At 103 for 4 after 13 overs, the innings could have gone either way after Gill and Vijay Shankar holed out to long-on against the spinners.

Manohar bravely confronted a meek Chawla and swung the balance in favor of Titans to the point where Mumbai never recovered. Chawla started the 15th over with two full deliveries as the field was spread out, and Manohar blasted both to the cover boundary. Manohar charged down and smoked a straight six on the fifth ball, making it a 17-run over—the same number of runs Chawla had conceded in his previous three innings.

After that, Manohar and Miller could not be stopped. With the assistance of Rahul Tewatia, the pair struck three consecutive sixes in the final three overs, giving Mumbai’s bowling plenty to consider before their next match. In the 18th over, Manohar used brute force to slam Green for the first of those runs, and Miller used golf swings to end Meredith’s last over. Manohar also holed out to long-off for 42 off 21.

Miller’s dismissal for 46 off 22 on the penultimate ball was hardly a consolation for Mumbai because by that time Titans had crossed 200. Tewatia swept his first ball for six before slamming two more off Behrendorff’s slower ones in the last over on the leg side to finish on 20 off 5.

Shami’s masterclass

The WTC final is still a month and a half away, however Mohammed Shami was so exact with his speed and swing right off the bat that Mumbai and India chief Rohit Sharma could have something to grin about. Perhaps not. Shami terminated in an endless flow of fast conveyances outside Ishan Kishan’s off stump and made him seem to be a deer trapped in the headlights, which implied Mumbai never took off in the pursuit. Kishan jabbed, punched and goaded at numerous such Shami conveyances to score eight off his 13 balls and crept to 10 off 17 toward the finish of the powerplay.

From the opposite end, Hardik terminated in deliveries around 140-145 kmh with outswing and took Rohit’s return get off a main edge for only 2, preceding likewise beating Green’s swings numerous multiple times in the powerplay that saw Mumbai battling on 29 for 1.

The Rashid and Noor strangle

Following the powerplay, the Titans unleashed the Afghan spinners together, and Rashid struck immediately. After catching Kishan off a heave on the leg side, he ended his agonizing run of 13 off 21, and with the help of a review, he trapped Impact Player Tilak Varma for 2 with three balls. Green had at this point gathered two sixes and hammered a third off Noor in the 10th over despite the fact that the asking rate crossed 14.

Then, in the eleventh over, Noor dealt him a double blow by rattling Green’s stumps and also caught the big-hitting Tim David off a full toss for a two-ball duck. At 59 for 5 after 11, Mumbai barely had any possibility of returning quickly.

Mumbai will be thrilled to uncover Punjabi 22-year-old Nehal Wadhera, another young batter, with the exception of a cameo appearance by Suryakumar Yadav. Even though the chase was almost over when he batted, Wadhera manipulated the field to find gaps, hit big sixes down the ground and on the leg side, and impressed with his temperament under pressure. Wadhera scored 40 off 21 balls, including three sixes and as many fours, as he and Suryakumar defeated Noor for 15 runs in the 13th over, even as Mumbai struggled in another big chase.