Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has expressed concerns about Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowling lineup, pointing out the absence of young bowlers, which could negatively impact the franchise in IPL 2026.
The Hyderabad-based franchise retained its core squad, maintaining one of the strongest teams in IPL 2025, featuring players like Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Pat Cummins, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Heinrich Klaasen. They signed experienced players such as Salil Arora, Jack Edwards, and Liam Livingstone for Rs 13 crore, along with several promising talents through the mini-auction ahead of IPL 2026.
However, Uthappa questioned the signing of Livingstone and his inclusion in the playing eleven, while also commenting on the fragile bowling attack.
“Nothing has really changed. SRH have taken a clear stand, they want to win the championship on the back of their batting, at full tilt. If you look at this auction and the way they’ve gone about it, they’ve stayed true to that narrative. They haven’t gone after an Indian bowler who could support Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel or Jaydev Unadkat. We know Harshal can pick up wickets, but he can also be expensive. The same goes for Unadkat. Pat Cummins is the only bowler who can consistently hold one end. Nitish Reddy is still developing as an all-rounder, so how much responsibility will he get? SRH are batting like they want to breach 300 every game.
“But the question is — where does Liam Livingstone fit into this line-up? You already have Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, Pat Cummins and Eshan Malinga occupying overseas slots. Are they planning to chase every game? Or are they accepting that their bowling lacks depth, especially with some bowlers being in the latter stages of their careers? The youth factor in the bowling unit just isn’t there right now,” Uthappa said on JioStar.
Kumble Questions Livingstone
Former India cricketer Anil Kumble also commented on Liam Livingstone joining SRH for Rs 13 crore and questioned the bowling options for SRH, alongside skipper Cummins.
“I think Liam Livingstone, as a buy, certainly makes sense in a T20 line-up, irrespective of his performances last season with RCB. He’s the kind of player who can change a game in just a few overs, that’s the way he bats. On top of that, he’s extremely flexible — he can open, bat at No. 3, or play in the middle order. That said, spending ₹13 crore becomes an interesting call when you already have a bowling captain in Pat Cummins, who bats lower down the order, along with Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen — three overseas slots that are almost fixed.”
(With inputs from Agencies)
