The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) owner is determined to win the IPL title next season and is expected to make some scathing remarks ahead of the mini-auction. They may be looking to fire Mohamed Shami in 2025 after a disappointing season.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, champions of the 2016 edition of IPL, have invested heavily in their current squad over the past few years. Featuring World Cup-winning Australian captain Pat Cummins, they reached the final of IPL 2024 but ended up runners-up to Shreyas Iyer-led Kolkata Knight Riders.
Last season was even worse for the IPL franchise as they finished 6th in the points table after finishing the season well. In the first half of the season, the Sunrisers were reduced to a small fry despite being a power-packed team.
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SRH owner issues ultimatum to Pat Cummins to win title in IPL 2026
Sunrisers Hyderabad had won the IPL title in the last 10 years in 2016 under the direction of David Warner, the best player in the history of the Sunrisers camp. Since then, they have played two more finals, first in the 2018 IPL under Kane Williamson and then in 2024 under Pat Cummins, but finished as runners-up.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad team also owns several other teams across several global T20 leagues. They play Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 league and recently acquired a Northern Superchargers team from Yorkshire in the Hundred.
“SRH are in attacking mode as far as this IPL season is concerned. The message is clear that they have to win the title this time. We feel they have invested a lot in the current setup under Pat Cummins,” TOI journalist Sahil Malhotra said.
SRH makes cruel call before mini auction
The Sunrisers, who had a terrible season last time out, will have to make some tough decisions, even if it means heartbreak for some of their best players. Mohammed Shami turned out to be a disaster for the SRH team during the season after being bought for a whopping Rs 100 crore.
As the reporter suggested, “The owners are ruthless when it comes to winning. They sent a clear message before the mini-auction that whatever changes needed to be made should be made.”
“Perhaps they are thinking of removing Mohamed Shami from the team as they were very disappointed with Shami’s performance and fitness last season. SRH wants to win the title and they are ready to do whatever it takes to win this season.”
The management is completely in line with our fans’ expectations 🔥
“The 2026 trophy is what we want!
Expect some cold calls.”– TOI Sports talks about SRH’s 2026 game planpic.twitter.com/oa6Fba1zHm
— Sunrisers Army (@srhorangearmy) October 17, 2025
Is this the end of Mohammed Shami’s T20 career?
Legendary Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has picked over 400 international wickets across all three formats throughout his career. Moreover, Shami is also India’s highest wicket-taker not only in the ODI World Cup but also in all ICC tournaments combined. He also gave his best performances with the ball in both ICC World Cup 2023 and ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Despite this inevitable success, one thing that has often plagued him is frequent injuries, which have kept him away from the field for long periods of time. Shami has featured for several IPL franchises including Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Daredevils, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
However, with Shami missing most of the matches due to injury and his financial situation reaching its worst last season, not only SRH is willing to part ways with the player, but other teams’ interest in the Indian pacer is also in doubt. The decision to stay is expected to be announced by November 15, and Shami’s fate will also be decided on that day.
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