Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) secured the third spot in the IPL 2026 playoffs with a commanding 55-run victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Friday. The win sets up an Eliminator clash against the team that finishes fourth in the points table.
Despite narrowly missing out on a top-two finish due to net run rate, SRH head coach Daniel Vettori expressed satisfaction with the team's campaign. He praised the squad for bouncing back strongly after a difficult start to the season.
"We played really well. You can't have everything. It was a magnificent game; I thought the guys were incredible. The season's not over yet. Top of the table, missed out a little bit on run rate, but nine wins is a fantastic tournament," Vettori said during the post-match press conference.
Middle Order Concerns
While SRH's explosive top order has been a standout feature of their season, Vettori admitted the franchise remains cautious about its relatively untested middle order heading into the high-pressure knockout stage.
"We've got a middle order who probably hasn't batted that much during the season, so that's something that we always keep an eye on in the build-up towards these big matches. But the team's been amazing," he said.
"That top four has been brilliant, and that triumvirate of Ishan, Pat, and Shakib in the later half of the season has probably been the real difference for us," Vettori added.
Bowling Balance
The former New Zealand captain also explained that managing the fifth and sixth bowling options continues to be one of the team's biggest tactical balancing acts.
"It's always about juggling our fifth and sixth bowler. That's a big one for us, and we went with Harshal Patel tonight because of the nature of the surface, but we know we've got Hinge and Harsh Dubey," Vettori expressed.
Vettori credited SRH's bowling attack for complementing the explosive batting lineup, especially after the team recovered from losing three of their opening four matches this season.
"Those three fast bowlers have been exceptional, and we've had contributions from Harsh Dubey, Shivang, Nitesh, and Hinge that have allowed us to come back from losing three of our first four games," he said.
"To win eight out of the next 12 is a real credit to them. I think we anticipated our batting unit doing what they did, and then for the bowlers to complement them was the reason we're in the position we are now," he concluded.
