Attacking opening batter Abhishek Sharma is reportedly seeking a move away from Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of the IPL 2027 retention deadline, with Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings among the franchises being explored as potential destinations. Delhi Capitals have also been mentioned as a possibility.
Reports emerging on Friday, October 2, indicate that the left-handed opener has been unhappy at SRH since the franchise decided to hand the captaincy to Ishan Kishan. According to sources
cited in the reports, Abhishek had captaincy ambitions of his own, and the decision has created a tense atmosphere between the player and the franchise.
What are Abhishek Sharma's options ahead of the IPL 2027 mini-auction?
According to The Times of India, IPL franchises have over a month remaining to freeze their core group of retained players before the mini-auction scheduled in December. That window gives both Abhishek and interested franchises time to assess their options before any formal move can be made.
Mumbai Indians, the five-time champions, have emerged as one of the more prominent names linked with the opener, alongside Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings. Delhi Capitals represents another avenue, with Yuvraj Singh now part of their set-up in a mentorship capacity, a factor that could appeal to Abhishek given their reported relationship.
"It's not a secret anymore that Abhishek Sharma is unhappy at SRH since the captaincy went to Ishan Kishan. He has been with the franchise for a long time and clearly had captaincy ambitions. Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Titans, and Punjab Kings were being explored as potential destinations, and we can't rule out Delhi Capitals either, since his mentor Yuvraj Singh is part of the set-up now," TOI quoted their source as saying.
Why is Abhishek Sharma reportedly unhappy at SRH?
The reported discontent stems from SRH's captaincy decision ahead of IPL 2027. Ishan Kishan had served as interim skipper for the franchise during IPL 2026 before Pat Cummins returned from injury to resume regular captaincy duties. With Kishan now slated to take over as full-time captain for IPL 2027, Abhishek has been positioned as vice-captain at best in the franchise's plans.
"There are not many captaincy opportunities right now. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are two options, but most other teams appear sorted. So even if SRH and Abhishek agree to part ways, the big question remains: where to? And how will SRH position itself even if they agree? A cash deal? Player trade? Lots of factors," the source added.
SRH's chief executive officer, K Shanmugam, however, has termed the reports of Abhishek's unhappiness as "not true", pushing back on the claims circulating in the media.
While SRH's official position is that there is no issue, the reports indicate that informal dialogue with multiple franchises has already taken place, though nothing substantial has materialised as yet.
