3 Sunrisers Hyderabad players who might be benched in IPL 2026

The Sunrisers Hyderabad have been a key part of revolutionising T20 cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL) with their blistering batting style, which started in 2024. In the 2026 auction, they have reinforced their side with names like Liam Livingstone, who adds even more firepower to the middle while also adding depth to their squad.

With their team almost settled despite injuries to skipper Pat Cummins, Eshan Malinga and Jack Edwards (ruled out of the season), there are still few players who could feature less prominently for the Orange Army in the upcoming edition of the marquee 20-over tournament, which gets underway on March 28 in Bengaluru.

Here are 3 SRH players who might be benched for entire IPL 2026:

3. Kamindu Mendis (Batting all-rounder)

Kamindu Mendis has been one of Sri Lanka’s most prolific batters in the longer formats, but the T20 game is one that he has yet to fully click with. An elegant strokemaker, Kamindu is a middle-order batter who faces very stiff competition in the SRH middle order. It might not be easy for him to find regular game time due to the names that he has to compete with.

Aside from his batting, Kamindu’s ambidextrous bowling is also an added plus. Being able to bowl both left-arm spin and off-spin adds variety to any team he plays for. But despite this, with the batting prowess in the SRH team, Kamindu’s chances at playing stand really low.