If one has to rank all the bowling units for IPL 2026, perhaps SRH would be on 7-8th position. It just goes on to show how bad their bowling looks on paper, especially with Pat Cummins not available for a few matches. The team also let go veteran Mohammed Shami from the team, which only worsens the situation.

Bowling a big worry for SRH in IPL 2026

Now, the availability of Eshan Malinga is a bit of an issue as well, with the SLC only ready to give an NOC, after the clearance of the fitness test. Looking at all this, former India opener Aakash Chopra feels that, SRH is the side who could very well score 250, but also concede that much.

“There will be challenges because the bowling has been dealt a serious blow. Pat Cummins was already not there. So the bowling was already slightly weak, and if Eshan Malinga is also not there, it means you will have to play Brydon Carse, or else you won’t be able to play with Indian bowling.

“When I see their bowling, it has Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Sakib Hussain, Omkar Tarmale, Jaydev Unadkat, Zeeshan Ansari, Harshal Patel, Shivam Mavi, Shivang Kumar and Harsh Dubey, but the bowling is weak. How they manage the bowling will be a challenge because if they score 250, they might concede 250. Their bowling looks like that. Unfortunately, that much might is not being seen in their bowling,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel.

If they score 250, they can concede 250

But then they have a young bowling coach in Varun Aaron, who could really bring about a positive change in the team. “Varun Aaron has seen them. He said he has seen Shivang, Harsh, and all other bowlers, that Shivam Mavi is bowling very well, and that they would be fine, and I will find out when I see them. I am hoping I find out.”

“However, at this point in time, when you see the team on paper, you see their entire bowling unit as a challenge, in which spin, especially, gets highlighted because with Zeeshan Ansari and Shivang Kumar, I really don’t think they are going with a very strong bowling attack. Spin is a definite, definite weakness. You cannot ignore that at all,” he added.