R Ashwin praised SunRisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) move to acquire uncapped Indian all-rounder Shivang Kumar, a spin-bowling prospect, at the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. The former cricketer expressed confidence that the 23-year-old has the potential to make an impact in the upcoming season. Shivang was picked by the Hyderabad franchise at his base price of ₹30 lakh.
In the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he represented Madhya Pradesh in four matches, taking four wickets at an economy of 8.05 and scoring 59 runs at a strike rate of 143.90. Highlighting Shivang as a player to watch in IPL 2026, Ashwin shared his thoughts on X:
“Let’s add Shivang to the “watch out for this player” list for the upcoming IPL season. Shall we? Great spot @SunRisers.”
Let’s add Shivang to the
“watch out for this player” list for the upcoming IPL season.Shall we?
Great spot @SunRisers 👏👏 . pic.twitter.com/v9MNreYufO
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) January 3, 2026
Shivang recently made his List A debut in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy. In the match against Kerala, he was out for a seven-ball duck but picked up 2 wickets for 42 runs in 8 overs, helping Madhya Pradesh secure a 47-run victory.
He also featured for the Bhopal Leopards in the 2025 Madhya Pradesh Premier League, where he impressed with a blazing 91 off just 42 balls against Bundelkhand Bulls.
SunRisers Hyderabad Complete 10 Signings Ahead Of IPL 2026
SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) entered the IPL 2026 auction with a remaining budget of ₹25.50 crore and secured 10 players during the event. English all-rounder Liam Livingstone was their priciest acquisition, with the franchise paying ₹13 crore to bring him on board.
Other signings included Jack Edwards (₹3 crore), Salil Arora (₹1.5 crore), Shivam Mavi (₹75 lakh), Onkar Tarmale (₹30 lakh), Sakib Hussain (₹30 lakh), Praful Hinge (₹30 lakh), Krains Fuletra (₹30 lakh), and Amit Kumar (₹30 lakh).
SRH, led by Pat Cummins, had a disappointing IPL 2025 season, finishing sixth with seven wins, six losses, and one no-result in 14 matches, missing out on the playoffs. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) claimed their maiden IPL title, defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six runs in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
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