"It could be 300-plus this time, but they might be hit for 300 as well" - Former opener's huge statement on SRH's picks in the IPL 2026 auction

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has questioned the SunRisers Hyderabad's (SRH) IPL 2026 auction strategy. He noted that the franchise might score 300 runs in an innings, but could also concede as many runs in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League.

SRH spent ₹20.05 crore to acquire 10 players at the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 16. They picked most of the players at their base prices, with Liam Livingstone (₹13 crore) being their costliest buy.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener noted that SRH have bolstered their batting at the IPL 2026 auction, but haven't done the same with their bowling.

"They have made their batting very strong. It could be 300-plus this time, but they might be hit for 300 as well. The opposing team might also hit 300. I hope it works out, because they will play an entertaining brand of cricket for sure, but is it a great strategy? I don't know," he said.

Chopra added that Livingstone's acquisition implies that neither Eshan Malinga nor Brydon Carse would be a part of the Hyderabad-based franchise's first-choice playing XI.

"If you have taken Liam Livingstone, it means that you will play him for sure. That implies you won't be able to play Eshan Malinga or Brydon Carse with the new ball, and that leaves you with nobody who actually bowls in the powerplay overs. It was a big takeaway that you let (Mohammad) Shami go. So at some stage, you need a pacer, a new-ball bowler. They have not got it," he observed.

The SunRisers Hyderabad traded Mohammad Shami to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Shivam Mavi was the only prominent Indian seamer they picked at the mini auction.

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"Is it an upgrade?" - Aakash Chopra on SRH's spin-bowling picks in the IPL 2026 auction

SRH released Rahul Chahar ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that the SunRisers Hyderabad's acquisition of Shivang Kumar after releasing Rahul Chahar isn't an upgrade either.

"After that, in spin, they let Rahul Chahar go. Zeeshan Ansari and Shivang Kumar are there. Shivang apparently is bowling well, but is it an upgrade? I don't think so. So I am seeing a slight concern there," he said.

Apart from Shivang Kumar, SRH acquired Amit Kumar and Krains Fuletra as spin-bowling options in the IPL 2026 auction. While Liam Livingstone could provide them with a few overs of spin, Zeeshan Ansari and Harsh Dubey gave a decent account of themselves with the ball in IPL 2025.