3 teams who should target Deepak Hooda in IPL 2026 Auction ft. SunRisers Hyderabad

India all-rounder Deepak Hooda has been impressive for Rajasthan in domestic cricket ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Hooda was part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 2025 season, acquired for ₹1.70 crore. However, he was released following his poor display.

In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025-26, Deepak Hooda has reminded everyone of his abilities with the bat. He has scored 248 runs in eight games at an average of 41.33 and a strike rate of 164.23 with two half-centuries. In the Ranji Trophy 2025-26, he has made 482 runs in seven innings so far at an average of 80.33 with two centuries.

Deepak Hooda made his IPL debut in 2015 and has scored 1496 runs from 101 innings with eight half-centuries. Overall, he has played 228 T20s and has piled on 3915 runs with two hundreds and 24 fifties. Given his experience and current form, teams would look to bring him in as an Indian option into the mix.

That said, here are three teams that should target Deepak Hooda in the IPL 2026 auction.

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#3 Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Rajasthan Royals (RR) could look to bring Deepak Hooda back into their side. His journey in the IPL began with the Royals in 2015. However, he played only one season for them. Ahead of the 2026 auction, the Royals traded out two Indian middle-order batters, Sanju Samson and Nitish Rana.

They have retained Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel and traded in Ravindra Jadeja. However, to fill the void by the exit of Samson and Rana, they could eye Deepak Hooda as a replacement in the middle-order or a backup experienced Indian batter.

His current form for Rajasthan in domestic cricket across formats could make the Royals weigh him as an option for a local player in the mix.

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#2 Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have a decent top-order with the likes of Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. However, should they lose early wickets, they would need an experienced batter in the middle who can bring stability.

The three-time champions do not have a lot of batters who can play spin well in the middle overs. Deepak Hooda could be the perfect fit in this scenario. He can play spin well and also accelerate when needed.

Further, Hooda can add to their spin options in the bowling department. With spinners finding assistance at the Eden Gardens, his off-spin can come in handy alongside Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy. Therefore, it gives them an all-round option as well.

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#1 SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH)

Deepak Hooda previously spent four seasons with the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) from 2016 to 2019. He filled the role of a finisher and a middle-order batter during his stint with them. In fact, he even made key contributions with vital cameos during the 2016 season when they won the title.

The current SRH side is top-heavy with the batting, filled with power hitters like Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klaasen. They would also need an experienced batter who can bring stability in the middle and keep up the pace of the innings at the same time.

SRH would also target spin bowling all-rounders to bring some balance to their side, with Adam Zampa and Rahul Chahar released.