Indian fast bowler Basil Thampi has officially signed with Worcester Cricket Club for the 2026 season of the Worcestershire County Cricket League (WCL). The Kerala pacer is set to join the English club in April and is expected to play a key role in strengthening Worcester’s bowling attack. His inclusion provides the team with a proven pace option, bringing international experience and variety to the bowling lineup as they prepare for a competitive season in one of England’s prominent club cricket competitions.

The Worcestershire County Cricket League features teams from Worcestershire, Herefordshire, and surrounding counties, making it one of England’s notable club tournaments. Worcester CC has strategically added Thampi to bolster their pace resources for the upcoming season. Known for his ability to deliver breakthroughs in the middle overs, Thampi brings both experience and skill to the squad. His addition is expected to provide the club with added depth and flexibility, particularly in conditions that favour seamers and swing bowlers.

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At 32, Thampi has represented Kerala at the domestic level and made his mark in the IPL across multiple franchises. He has featured in 25 IPL matches for Gujarat Lions, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Mumbai Indians, taking 22 wickets. Notably, he earned the Emerging Player award in 2017 while playing for Gujarat Lions. In First-Class cricket, he has 132 wickets from 58 matches, including three five-wicket hauls, while in List A cricket he has claimed 58 wickets from 44 games. His T20 career spans 88 matches with 90 wickets.

Basil Thampi has performed well in domestic circuit 

After nearly a year away from Indian domestic cricket, Basil Thampi made a remarkable comeback with an outstanding performance in Australia’s grade cricket. Playing in a 50-over match at Warrawee Park in Oakleigh, the pacer showcased his lethal bowling skills by claiming five wickets. He started the innings in sensational fashion, clean-bowling Brendan Grace with the very first delivery and trapping Kamesh Nirmal Lokuge lbw off the next ball, immediately putting the opposition on the back foot.

Thampi continued his impressive display by removing Rithvik Rao with a well-directed bouncer and then dismantling the middle and lower order. He finished with extraordinary figures of 5/19, helping Oakleigh bowl out their opponents for a meager total. This performance highlighted his sharpness and fitness after a long break from professional cricket. Thampi’s last appearance in India came in February 2025, when he represented Kerala in a Ranji Trophy match against Jammu & Kashmir, making this comeback even more significant.

A cheerful day for Sunrisers Hyderabad, as one of their latest recruits from the IPL 2026 auction shines for impressive bowling figures. Shivang Kumar, an all-rounder from Madhya Pradesh, claimed a 5-wicket figure against Karnataka on January 8.

During the Karnataka vs Madhya Pradesh Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 (VHT 2025-26) match in Ahmedabad, the spin bowling all-rounder took 5 wickets in his 10-over spell for only a 4.50 economy rate. He produced a magical delivery to fox the seasoned campaigner Shreyas Gopal. An inch-perfect googly from Kumar completely bowled out the right-handed batter of Karnataka.

Along with the wicket of Gopal, Kumar clinched the wickets of Ravichandran Smaran, Krishnan Shrijith, Abhinav Manohar, and Shreesha Achar. Shivang Kumar was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for his base price of INR 30 lakh in the IPL 2026 auction, marking his first entry into the IPL as a young all-rounder from Madhya Pradesh.

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Watch the magical delivery from Shivang Kumar

You're not the only one watching this on loop 😮🪄pic.twitter.com/LjGQZqaftc

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) January 8, 2026

SRH, from their official social media account, shares the googly delivered by Shivang Kumar to dismiss Shreyas Gopal. The caption of the post reads, "You're not the only one watching this on loop."

Cricket fans across social media platforms also praised the 23-year-old's bowling effort. In the previous VHT 2025-26 match, Kumar took 3 wickets and scored a half-century as well against Jharkhand, which marked his all-round abilities.

SRH full squad for IPL 2026:

Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari, Salil Arora, Shivang Kumar, Sakib Hussain, Onkar Tarmale, Krains Fuletra, Praful Hinge, Amit Kumar, Shivam Mavi, Liam Livingstone, Jack Edwards

When Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) picked up their eleven for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, many reckoned that they would perhaps go for the 300 score in most of the games. And on the very first clash against the Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, they showed the power. However, the bowling remained the issue.

Just like they cracked 300 runs on the board, they kept on leaking the same amount of runs in their defense, which never helped them get a better result in the game. The Sunrisers Hyderabad ended at the sixth position in the points table with six victories in 14 games at a net run rate of -0.241.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s strongest playing 11 for IPL 2026 after mini auction

Sunrisers Hyderabad had the third-biggest available purse of the IPL 2026, and they spent a massive chunk of it on Liam Livingstone late on the auction for a huge price of INR 13 crore. This remained their only big purchase of the action-packed day. But the question is, where would they make the England star play?

SRH full squad for IPL 2026:

Travis Head, Aniket Verma, R Smaran, Heinrich Klaasen, Ishan Kishan, Salil Arora, Liam Livingstone, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Brydon Carse, Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel, Kamindu Mendis, Harsh Dubey, Jack Edwards, Shivang Kumar, Krains Fuletra, Zeeshan Ansari, Amit Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Jaydev Unadkat, Shivam Mavi, Onkar Tarmale, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge.

See Also: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) strongest playing 11 for IPL 2026 after mini auction

They already have a successful opening pair of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, who will again go berserk at the bowlers from the opening over of the innings inside the powerplay. Ishan Kishan, who had two halves of the IPL 2025 with runs on both ends of the campaign, has now found his new version, having led the Jharkhand side to the final of the SMAT 2025/26 with some fabulous performances.

It was a shocking decision that the franchise didn’t go big for either Ravi Bishnoi or Rahul Chahar, who could have been a better balanced option for them in the eleven. Their bowling also looked quite inexperienced in the absence of Mohammad Shami, who has now made his move to the Lucknow Super Giants.

The spin attack has got the new flavor of the left-arm wrist spinner, Krains Fultera. Shivam Mavi could end up being their pacer. At number four, they will have Nitish Kumar Reddy as the pace bowling all-rounder of the side, as it will be important for their balance to see the Andhra star roll his arm for a few overs.

Heinrich Klassen is the X-factor of the franchise, having continued to grow in his aggressive mode with the bat, anywhere he bats. But his middle-order heroics will be crucial for the franchise as they can now add more power with Aniket Verma and Livingston at number six and seven.

The former was exceptional in his very first season of the league in bailing out the franchise from trouble on many occasions during the game. Pat Cummins, the captain, will be back in the pace bowling department along with Harshal Patel for his death overs role. The left-arm pacer, Jaydev Unadkat, can now have a more senior role in the side.

SRH’s strongest playing 11 for IPL 2026 after mini auction

Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk..), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klassen, Aniket Verma, Liam Livingstone/Jack Edwards, Pat Cummins (c), Harsh Dubey/Krains Fuletra, Harshal Patel, Shivam Mavi/Zeeshan Ansari.

Impact Player: Jaydev Unadkat. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad went into the IPL 2026 mini-auction with a purse of ₹ 25.5 crore, they had a clear-eyed vision of adding depth without altering their strong core. One of the key acquisitions for them at the auction was the signing of uncapped Indian all-rounder Shivang Kumar for ₹30 lakh. SRH mainly looked to beef up the squad with a mix of young Indian players while picking a few experienced overseas names.

After the retention window last month, SRH decided to back the same core that helped them perform well recently. The team continues to be led by captain Pat Cummins, whose leadership and fast bowling are very important for SRH. Top-order batters Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head also remain key players for the team.

The opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head has given good fast starts for SRH over the last few seasons. Both opening batsmen are an attacking type, giving early pressure to the opponent teams. With experienced Heinrich Klaasen and Ishan Kishan in the middle order, SRH seems to be ready for another successful season.

See Also: IPL Auction 2026: Full squad and new bought players for Kolkata Knight Riders

Sunrisers Hyderabad Bought Players at IPL 2026 Auction

Shivang Kumar (₹30 lakh), Salil Arora (₹1.5 crore), Sakib Hussain (₹30 lakh), Onkar Tarmale (₹30 lakh), Amit Kumar (₹30 lakh), Praful Hinge (₹30 lakh), Krains Fuletra (₹30 lakh), Liam Livingstone (₹13 crore), Shivam Mavi (₹75 lakh), Jack Edwards (₹3 crore).

Sunrisers Hyderabad Full Squad for IPL 2026

Pat Cummins (captain), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari, Shivang Kumar, Salil Arora, Sakib Hussain, Onkar Tarmale, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Krains Fuletra, Liam Livingstone, Shivam Mavi, Jack Edwards.

When Liam Livingstone’s name came up in the auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, the expectation was to see him getting a massive paycheck. But to everyone's surprise, none of the teams showed any paddle to the England spin all-rounder. The eyes were on the Chennai Super Kings, who perhaps were looking for a spin all-rounder after leaving Ravindra Jadeja.

But later on in the accelerated mode, Liam Livingstone arrived and found massive interest from the franchises. The bidding started at INR 2 crore by the Kolkata Knight Riders, while the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) straightaway joined the battle for a price of INR 2.20 crore. The Gujarat Titans made a brief appearance in the bidding and left at INR 4.20 crore.

See Also: IPL Auction 2026: Full squad and new bought players for Mumbai Indians

Meanwhile, the Lucknow Super Giants also entered the auction and had massive interest in getting the player. The wish was massive that they were ready to dilute the rest of the purse and extend the money to INR 12.80 crore before the Hyderabad side completed the signing of the player for INR 13 crore.

Liam Livingstone sold to SRH for INR 13 crore

The 32-year-old all-rounder is a massive veteran of the shortest format with 7496 runs in 304 innings at an average of over 28 and a strike rate of 144.93 with the help of 39 half-centuries and two centuries at the best score of 103 runs. With the ball, he has picked up 143 wickets in 182 innings at an economy rate of 8.47.

Last year, Liam went through a struggling campaign with 112 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 133.33 with one half-century to his name. But his best season in the league came in 2022 when he smashed 437 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 182.08 with four half-centuries.

Livingstone isn’t a confirmed player to feature in the eleven for the Hyderabad side. But he can also be a great backup option. The England star can be a brutal player with the bat, along with offering a few overs of spin.

Despite the recent injury threats, Pat Cummins is set to continue as the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for the IPL 2026 season. A recent social media post of SRH has hinted about their decision to trust captain Cummins for another season. 

In the previous Indian Premier League campaign (IPL 2025), where on pen and paper SRH probably had the best batting attack, they could not even qualify for the round of four. After that it was speculated that the team management could change in the leadership role. But their recent social media post has suggested that the Australian star will continue with them as their leader. Despite the setback in IPL 2025, SRH team management holds on to their key members for another season. 

Pat Cummins has been recovering from injury, eyeing getting back into competitive matches through the 2nd Test of The Ashes. As per reports, the pacer has already started his blowing practice. In his absence, Steven Smith will lead Australia in the series opener against England from November 21. The 31-year-old took over SRH's captaincy in 2024 after being acquired for a staggering INR 20.50 crore at the auction. It will be his third consecutive season as the SRH captain. 

P.S. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 😉🧡

Pat Cummins | #PlayWithFire pic.twitter.com/r4gtlypAY9

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) November 17, 2025

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Sunrisers Hyderabad squad for IPL 2026 ahead of the mini auction: 

Players Retained: Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari.

Players Released: Adam Zampa, Rahul Chahar, Wiaan Mulder, Abhinav Manohar, Atharva Taide, Sachin Baby, Simarjeet Singh.

Traded Out: Mohammed Shami to Lucknow Super Giants.

Remaining Purse: Rs 25.5 crore.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has released their roster for the IPL 2026. The organization wants to continue their momentum from recent campaigns and solve their situations with inconsistency. The main core of players were kept, including senior leader Pat Cummins, explosive opener Abhishek Sharma and powerhouse batter Travis Head. All three players have been vital to the team, while contributing significantly both with the bat and in leadership roles at the top of the order.

Travis Head played 13 matches last season, making 374 runs at a good strike rate of 162.61. Abhishek Sharma was even better, scoring 439 runs in 14 matches at an average of 33.77 and a strike rate of 193.39. Along with Cummins, the trio gives SRH a strong mix of experience, confidence, and attacking cricket that they will bank upon once again in IPL 2026.

In a key trade-off, SRH exchanged fast bowler Mohammed Shami for Lucknow Super Giants. The SRH had bought Shami for ₹10 crore in the 2025 auction, but an off-form Shami went on to take just 6 wickets in 9 games while giving away too many runs. SRH also released two key spinners, Adam Zampa and Rahul Chahar — in their list to restructure the bowling unit.

SRH Retentions, Releases and Auction Plans for IPL 2026

SRH have focused on keeping their strong batters and reliable all-rounders. They also kept main bowlers who fit well into their system. At the same time, they released players who did not have a big impact last season. The team is now looking forward to the mini-auction, where they can fill the remaining gaps.

With a strong group retained and Shami traded out, SRH now have a large purse of ₹25.5 crore entering the IPL 2026 mini-auction. This gives them the flexibility to target big names or fill multiple positions as needed.

See Also: Punjab Kings retained and released players list ahead of IPL 2026 auction

SRH Retained Players for IPL 2026

Sunrisers Hyderabad have retained Pat Cummins as captain along with Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga and Zeeshan Ansari.

SRH Released Players for IPL 2026

The released players include Adam Zampa, Rahul Chahar, Wiaan Mulder, Abhinav Manohar, Atharva Taide, Sachin Baby and Simarjeet Singh.

SRH Traded Players for IPL 2026

Sunrisers Hyderabad have traded out Mohammed Shami to the Lucknow Super Giants.

SRH Auction Purse for IPL 2026 

SRH will enter the IPL 2026 mini-auction with a remaining purse of ₹25.5 crore.

In another high-profile deal of an India player, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have agreed to trade the premier pacer, Mohammad Shami, to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The reports have claimed that it would be an all-cash deal with the Lucknow side paying INR 10 crore, the price Shami was bought for in the mega auction of the IPL 2025 last year.

Both franchises have agreed on the principle of the trade, pending Shami’s consent. The league has set 3 pm on November 15 as the deadline for the franchise to submit the list of players they would release for the 2026 season. He didn’t get his spot back for the national side in the longest format despite looking in a decent rhythm.

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Last year, the Bengal pacer played nine of SRH’s 14 encounters and took only six wickets at an average of 56.16 with an economy rate of 11.23. His economy at the Ranjiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad was 12.35 as he went for 0/75 in the second-most expensive spell of IPL history against the Punjab Kings.

Mohammad Shami traded to Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026

Shami made a strong impact for the Gujarat Titans during the 2022-24 season. In 2022 and 2023, he picked up 28 wickets in the first six overs; the next best of the phase was Trent Boult with 20 wickets, while Mohammad Siraj grabbed 15 wickets. He missed the IPL 2024 with an injury before going through a woeful performance in 2025.

At LSG, Shami will rejoin the forces of the former India bowling head coach, Bharat Arun, who is the talent development head of the franchise. Arun worked impressively and incredibly hard with Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, and Mohammad Siraj to enhance their skills with the bat.

Shami is the second big-player trade this week, with the first one being Chennai Super Kings’ Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran swapping with Sanju Samson. Shami will now play under the leadership of Rishabh Pant as they look for a better performance in the upcoming edition.