IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi has left Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with one of the most explosive and balanced squads on paper, combining a retained core of proven match-winners with a string of smart additions to strengthen their batting depth and all-round options. With a purse spend of 119.55 crore and only 5.45 crore left, the Orange Army have clearly gone all‑in on power hitters and multi-dimensional cricketers for the new season.
Sunrisers Hyderabad retain power-packed core and added more batting muscle
SRH’s strategy revolved around continuity at the top and in the leadership group, retaining the blockbuster trio of Heinrich Klaasen, Pat Cummins, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, all of whom remain among the highest-paid players in the squad. Klaasen heads the pay chart at 23 crore, with Cummins at 18 crore and the left-handed opening pair of Head and Abhishek locked in at 14 crore each, underlining the franchise’s commitment to an aggressive, top-heavy batting template anchored by a world-class all-round captain.
The think tank doubled down on this philosophy by retaining Ishan Kishan at 11.25 crore and Harshal Patel at 8 crore, giving SRH a domestic wicketkeeper-batter who can float in the order and a seasoned Indian death-overs specialist who also bolsters lower-order hitting. Nitish Kumar Reddy’s retention at 6 crore further strengthens the Indian all-round core, while Brydon Carse, Kamindu Mendis and Harsh Dubey offer seam, spin and batting flexibility in the middle and lower order at relatively economical price tags.
To complement this retained core, SRH went aggressively after Liam Livingstone, paying 13 crore for the England all-rounder after he initially went unsold in the first round of the auction. Livingstone’s acquisition adds a fearsome middle-order enforcer and a handy spin option, creating a batting spine of Head, Abhishek, Kishan, Klaasen and Livingstone that can attack through all phases of an innings. The franchise also picked up Australian all-rounder Jack Edwards for 3 crore and domestic batter Salil Arora for 1.5 crore, both viewed as value additions who can slot in as impact players or injury cover in a long season.
On the bowling front, SRH retained left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat at 1 crore and Sri Lankan quick Eshan Malinga at 1.2 crore, maintaining experience and variety in their pace unit. Young spinner Zeeshan Ansari continues at 0.4 crore, while Aniket Verma and Ravichandran Smaran stay on as budget batting options at 30 lakh each, ensuring squad continuity and domestic depth. This blend of high-ticket stars and low-cost Indian role players has allowed SRH to fill all 25 squad slots while staying within the 125-crore purse framework.
Also READ: IPL 2026 Auction: Complete list of sold players with their price
Salaries of SRH Players in IPL 2026
SRH have locked in eight overseas players and a total of 25 cricketers, with their salary structure clearly skewed towards top-order firepower and leadership. Below is a breakdown of players’ prices for IPL 2026:
S.No.PlayerSold Price (₹)1Heinrich Klaasen23 crores2Pat Cummins18 crores3Travis Head14 crores4Abhishek Sharma14 crores5Liam Livingstone13 crores6Ishan Kishan11 crores 25 lakh7Harshal Patel8 crores8Nitish Kumar Reddy6 crores9Jack Edwards3 crores10Salil Arora1 crores 50 lakh11Eshan Malinga1 crores 20 lakh12Brydon Carse1 crore13Jaydev Unadkat1 crore14Kamindu Mendis75 lakh15Shivam Mavi75 lakh16Zeeshan Ansari40 lakh17Onkar Tarmale30 lakh18Amit Kumar30 lakh19Shivang Kumar30 lakh20Krains Fuletra30 lakh21Aniket Verma30 lakh22Sakib Hussain30 lakh23Ravichandran Smaran30 lakh24Praful Hinge30 lakh25Harsh Dubey30 lakh
Also READ: IPL 2026 Auction: Full list of unsold players along with their base price
