‘It could be 300-plus this time, but they might be hit for 300 as well’ – Former India opener’s blunt take on SRH’s picks in the IPL 2026 auction

Former India opener Aakash Chopra said that Sunrisers Hyderabad will continue playing an attacking brand of cricket after roping in some explosive batters in the IPL 2026 mini-auction on Tuesday, December 16. However, he expressed concerns regarding the bowling department, saying that the former champions could post as well as concede 300-plus totals in matches this upcoming season.

SRH picked most of the players at their base prices in the auction. However, they broke the bank for England all-rounder Liam Livingstone, who is one of the fiercest ball strikers in modern-day cricket.

“They have made their batting very strong. It could be 300-plus this time, but they might be hit for 300 as well. The opposing team might also hit 300. I hope it works out, because they will play an entertaining brand of cricket for sure, but is it a great strategy? I don’t know,” Chopra said in a video shared on his YouTube channel.

Chopra noted that if Livingstone plays every game, that would not allow SRH to play either Eshan Malinga or Brydon Carse, who can bowl with the new ball. Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, and captain Pat Cummins are certainties in the playing XI barring any injuries. The Orange Army also traded Mohammed Shami, who can bowl upfront, to the Lucknow Super Giants last month. So it’s evident that SRH are a bit light on new-ball bowlers.

“If you have taken Liam Livingstone, it means that you will play him for sure. That implies you won’t be able to play Eshan Malinga or Brydon Carse with the new ball, and that leaves you with nobody who actually bowls in the powerplay overs. It was a big takeaway that you let (Mohammad) Shami go. So at some stage, you need a pacer, a new-ball bowler. They have not got it,” he observed.

Aakash Chopra analyses SRH’s spin-bowling resources

The cricketer-turned-expert believes that the spin attack is also not very threatening, especially after the experienced Rahul Chahar was released last month.

“After that, in spin, they let Rahul Chahar go. Zeeshan Ansari and Shivang Kumar are there. Shivang apparently is bowling well, but is it an upgrade? I don’t think so. So I am seeing a slight concern there,” Chopra said.