“Jaydev Unadkat compliments Pat Cummins with the new ball” - Sanjay Bangar on SRH’s bowling attack in IPL 2026

According to former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) coach Sanjay Bangar, Jaydev Unadkat and Pat Cummins might split the new ball duties for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). Additionally, he believed that Aniket Verma could bat for the Hyderabad-based team at number five. 

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Before the IPL 2026 auction, SRH had ₹25.50 crore left in their purse. On Tuesday, December 16, they will hold a mini auction in Abu Dhabi where they can purchase up to ten players, including two from outside.

On Star Sports, Bangar was questioned on whether Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, and Nitish Kumar Reddy could make up SRH's final top five. The former India all-rounder pointed out that Unadkat and Zeeshan Ansari might be a part of the team's lineup while noting that Aniket could bat above Nitish.

"Aniket Verma is a very impressive player. So he can come in straightaway and maybe bat ahead of Nitish because he can take the spin on, and he was very, very fabulous in terms of his attacking strokeplay against spin," Bangar said on Star Sports.

"They won't mind playing somebody like a Jaydev Unadkat because they play on such surfaces, wherein change of pace is quite effective in Hyderabad, bigger ground. Also complements Cummins with the new ball, with that right-left combination. If you look at the lack of spin in this particular lineup, Zeeshan can give you that spin-bowling option along with Abhishek," he added.

Jaydev Unadkat picked up 11 wickets at an economy rate of 7.34 in seven innings for SRH in IPL 2025.

Sanjay Bangar backs SRH to invest a lot in Ravi Bishnoi in IPL 2026 auction

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Sanjay Bangar was asked if a wrist-spinner or a new-ball bowler like Akash Deep will be the SunRisers Hyderabad's main objective at the IPL 2026 auction.

The former batting coach for India pointed out that bowler Rashid Khan, who is comparable to Ravi Bishnoi, had a lot of success at SRH's home stadium.

"I think they will go the wrist-spin way, and that's where you have somebody like a Ravi Bishnoi available in the auction, and they have the purse. They can spend a lot of their money on getting Ravi Bishnoi," he responded.

"Don't forget that his style of bowling was quite successful at the Hyderabad ground, wherein Rashid was that hit-the-wicket bowler all the time, flattish trajectory. So SRH, for all you know, might spend a lot on acquiring Ravi Bishnoi," Bangar observed.

Ravi Bishnoi was released by Lucknow Super Giants after a poor IPL 2025, where he picked nine wickets at an economy rate of 10.83 in 11 innings. He was released while LSG chose to retain Digvesh Rathi.

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