Kris Srikkanth slammed SRH’s IPL 2026 auction strategy and questioned GT’s planning, calling out unaddressed weaknesses.
Former India opener Kris Srikkanth has sharply criticized SunRisers Hyderabad’sIPL 2026 auction approach, arguing the franchise overlooked glaring bowling issues while making Liam Livingstone their marquee buy. Despite already owning a powerful batting core, SRH spent ₹13 crore on Livingstone, a move Srikkanth believes does little to fix last season’s primary weakness.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth questioned the logic and timing behind the bid, noting Livingstone had not attracted interest at base price earlier. “Everyone let go of Livingstone at base price. If you had already decided to go for him, you could have pocketed him for 2 crores itself,” he said. He then pressed the broader concern: “Their batting lineup is great, but who’ll bowl the 20 overs for them? Do SRH really need a player like Livingstone?”
Srikkanth linked the criticism to SRH’s recent trajectory. After a sensational 2024 season that ended as runners-up, the Orange Army missed the playoffs in 2025, finishing sixth. He suggested the auction failed to correct course: “They let go of Shami. Who’s the replacement for Shami? They could have planned it better, but they already had a good side. Yet, we all say good side, but they didn’t qualify last year. They were down in the dumps like CSK last year.”
Livingstone arrives off a title-winning 2025 season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but his own campaign was modest, averaging only 16 in 10 matches. Srikkanth argued SRH still needed proven IPL bowling depth and experience, areas he said remained unaddressed despite being central to last season’s problems.
Focus Shifts To Gujarat Titans’ Auction Decisions
Turning to Gujarat Titans, Srikkanth expressed surprise at what he sees as a missed opportunity to fix the middle order in the IPL 2026 auction. GT leaned heavily on their top three—Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler during 2025. “They did not address their middle-order issues at all. Last season they qualified only because of their top three,” he said, adding that GT should have targeted specific players to cover that gap: “They should have also targeted specific players like KKR for covering their middle-order issues. Are there no good middle-order batters at all around the world? Actually, Livingstone would have been an ideal fit for them.”
GT signed only five players, with Jason Holder their costliest at ₹7 crore. The 2022 champions reached the 2025 playoffs but exited in the Eliminator against Mumbai Indians. For Srikkanth, the auction haul suggests GT’s middle-order vulnerability could persist unless addressed decisively.