The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini-auction was held in Abu Dhabi on December 16, with 369 players available for franchises. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) adopted a clear and distinctive strategy at the auction, placing strong emphasis on Indian domestic talent, particularly uncapped players.
SRH used the auction to significantly refresh their squad depth, with seven of their first signings being uncapped Indians, before making two notable late moves in the accelerated round.
Pat Cummins remains Sunrisers Hyderabad captain
Pat Cummins will continue as the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2026. The franchise has retained its leadership core, with Cummins supported by experienced internationals such as Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, and Harshal Patel, alongside a growing pool of Indian talent.
What Sunrisers Hyderabad did at the IPL 2026 auction
Sunrisers Hyderabad entered the auction with a clear objective — invest in Indian bench strength while keeping overseas additions to a minimum. The first half of SRH’s auction saw them steadily add uncapped Indian players across batting, wicketkeeping, and pace bowling roles.
The defining moment of SRH’s auction came in the accelerated round, where they made a major investment in England all-rounder Liam Livingstone, backing his power-hitting and multi-skill value despite him being unsold earlier in the day. SRH later rounded off their overseas contingent by signing Australia all-rounder Jack Edwards, while also adding India pacer Shivam Mavi to bolster their fast-bowling depth.
Players bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad at the IPL 2026 auction
Shivang Kumar, Salil Arora, Sakib Hussain, Onkar Tarmale, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Krains Fuletra, Liam Livingstone, Shivam Mavi, Jack Edwards.
SRH auction summary
- Purse remaining: Rs. 5.45 crore
- Player slots remaining: 0
- Overseas slots remaining: 0
Sunrisers Hyderabad retained players before the auction
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.
Sunrisers Hyderabad full squad for IPL 2026
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, Shivang Kumar, Salil Arora, Sakib Hussain, Onkar Tarmale, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Krains Fuletra, Liam Livingstone, Shivam Mavi, Jack Edwards.
Squad outlook
Sunrisers Hyderabad head into IPL 2026 with one of the youngest and most domestically focused squads in the league. By backing uncapped Indian players while retaining a proven overseas core led by Pat Cummins, SRH appear to be building not just for the upcoming season but with an eye on long-term squad development and flexibility.
