Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2026.
Squad, captain, fantasy value picks, and the SRH venue splits. Editorial coverage of Sunrisers Hyderabad by the LeagueX desk.
The SRH squad, by role.
Batters
Top-order, middle-order, and finisher. We list the role, the venue split, and the captaincy case for each.
Wicketkeepers
Two keepers carried by most franchises. The choice between them is usually a venue call, not a form call.
Allrounders
Four-overs-plus-batting allrounders are the most valuable role on the desk. We list the consistent ones first.
Spinners
The most venue-dependent role. We list the spinners who play across conditions, not just at home.
Pace bowlers
Wicket-takers and economy bowlers are two different picks. We list both with the data behind the call.
Impact players
The impact-player rule lets the franchise substitute one player at the toss. We track the most-used combinations.
Fantasy value picks for SRH
The value list is built from the same five-question framework the desk uses for the daily shortlist: who bowls at the death, is the venue a batting paradise or a spin trap, what is the head-to-head record, are the frontline allrounders rested, and is the contest rewarding ceiling or floor. The picks are updated after every match Sunrisers Hyderabad play.
Captain and vice-captain slate
The captain is the player who, in our view, has the strongest case for the next fixture. The vice-captain is the 1.5x pick, usually from the same XI. If the captain is a top-order batter, the vice-captain is a death-overs bowler, and vice versa. We log every call we make.
Venue splits for SRH
Every franchise has a home ground and a small set of away venues they visit most often. The scoring splits at those venues are the second-most predictive data point after form. We list the home splits, the away splits, and the venue-by-venue captaincy record.
Auction and retention reading
The 2026 retention window is the cleanest in three cycles. The picks Sunrisers Hyderabad retained tell us the salary cap math, the role priorities, and the kind of XI the franchise is trying to build. We walk through the retention list, the RTM cards, and the auction strategy that followed.
What we are watching next
The next squad announcement, the next injury update, the next fixture, and the next venue change. We add each item to the page within an hour of the announcement, and we re-publish the fantasy value list every Tuesday.
Build a SRH-led team this week.
The fantasy value list for Sunrisers Hyderabad is the most-read page on the desk. It updates every Tuesday and includes the captain pick, the vice-captain pick, and three differentials from the wider squad.
The franchise’s story this season
Every franchise has a different story for the 2026 cycle. The story is built from the retentions, the auction buys, the coaching staff, the captaincy case, and the venue splits. The story is updated weekly, with the latest data from the matches played, the squad announcements, and the platform’s published T&C. The story is the most useful piece of editorial coverage for a fantasy reader who plays the franchise.
The story is published in five parts: the off-season story (the retentions and the auction), the pre-season story (the squad and the captaincy case), the in-season story (the matches played and the points scored), the mid-season story (the auction trades and the impact player moves), and the post-season story (the final standings and the fantasy value list for the next cycle). The five parts are updated at the relevant point in the season.
The coaching staff and the tactical approach
The coaching staff is the second-most-important input to the franchise’s story, after the retentions. The head coach, the batting coach, the bowling coach, the fielding coach, and the support staff are listed on the franchise’s own website, with the role and the tenure. The tactical approach is built from the head coach’s public statements, the on-field signals, and the data from the matches played. The tactical approach is updated weekly.
The tactical approach covers the batting order, the bowling rotation, the field placements, and the impact player choices. The batting order is the most important input to the fantasy value list. The bowling rotation is the second most important. The field placements and the impact player choices are the third and fourth, respectively. The tactical approach is the source of truth for the franchise’s on-field decisions.
The venue impact
The venue is the second-most-predictive data point after recent form, for the franchise’s fantasy value list. The home venue, the away venues the franchise visits most often, and the neutral venues are listed on the fantasy tips page, with the splits for each. The venue impact is updated weekly, with the latest data from the matches played at each venue. The venue impact is the source of truth for the franchise’s venue-specific fantasy value.
The home venue is the venue the franchise plays at most often. The splits at the home venue are the most predictive data point for the franchise’s fantasy value list. The away venues are the venues the franchise visits most often. The splits at the away venues are the second most predictive. The neutral venues are the venues the franchise visits rarely. The splits at the neutral venues are the least predictive, but still useful.
The fantasy picks for the next fixture
The fantasy picks for the next fixture are published 30 minutes before the team lock. The picks have four parts: a captain pick, a vice-captain pick, three differentials, and a contrarian. The four parts are ordered by importance, with the captain pick first and the contrarian last. The picks are logged, and the result is published the morning after the match. The picks are the single most useful piece of editorial coverage for a fantasy reader who plays the franchise.
The captain pick is the player with the strongest case for the next fixture, with the case built from the data on the desk. The vice-captain pick is the 1.5x pick, usually from the same XI as the captain. The three differentials are players under 15% selection, with the case built from the same data as the captain pick. The contrarian is one pick that goes against the public shortlist. The four parts are designed to balance the floor and the ceiling.
What we are watching
The next squad announcement, the next injury update, the next role change, the next venue change. We add each item to the page within an hour of the announcement, and we re-publish the fantasy value list every Tuesday. The editorial calendar is on the same URL every week. The desk does not publish a page that fails the re-verification; the guide is taken down or rewritten until it passes.
The desk uses a four-step re-verification process. Step one: the source data is checked against the public database. Step two: the platform’s T&C is checked against the platform’s own published version. Step three: the support team’s published workflow is checked against the support team’s most recent email or chat response. Step four: the editorial content is checked against the three sources. The four steps are the minimum; the desk does not skip a step.
Frequently asked questions
The questions the support team sees most often are listed below, with the answers the desk has verified against the platform’s own T&C and the support team’s published workflow. The questions and answers are updated weekly. The list is the source of truth for the most common support questions; for account-specific issues, contact the support team on the customer care page.
The five most common questions. First, “Is this guide the official one?” This guide is the LeagueX editorial reference. For the platform’s own T&C, follow the link in the footer of every page. Second, “How is this guide kept up to date?” We re-verify the content weekly; the last refresh date is at the bottom of the guide, and the changelog lists every substantive change. Third, “What if my question is not here?” The contact page goes to a real person on the desk. Fourth, “Can I share the content on this guide?” Yes, with attribution and a link to the source. Fifth, “Can I reuse the content on this guide for commercial purposes?” No, the content is for editorial use only; the full terms are on the terms page.
The editorial calendar
The editorial calendar is on the same URL every week. The calendar covers the squad announcements, the auction trades, the daily shortlists, the long-form pieces, the captaincy calls, and the venue maps. The calendar is updated within an hour of any change in the schedule. The calendar is the source of truth for the editorial coverage; the desk does not publish a piece that is not on the calendar.
The weekly rhythm is: Monday, the squad announcements and the auction trades. Tuesday, the daily shortlist and the fantasy value lists. Wednesday, the long-form piece on the desk. Thursday, the captaincy call for the next match. Friday, the weekend reading and the head-to-head picks. Saturday, the live tracking and the venue map for the next match. Sunday, the review and the changelog update. The rhythm is the source of truth for the editorial coverage.
How to use this guide with the rest of the desk
This guide is one of 45 pages on the desk. The other 44 cover the chapters, the brand SERP cluster, the team pages, the player pages, the blog, the trust pages, and the legal pages. The pages are designed to be read in any order, but the recommended starting point is the fantasy cricket reading order. The reading order covers the rules, the captaincy math, the points system, the contest formats, the toss and pitch reading, and the withdrawal walkthrough.
For the brand SERP cluster, the most useful pages are the sign in, the download, the bonus code, the referral code, the legal, and the withdrawal pages. For the team coverage, the most useful pages are the CSK, the MI, the RCB, and the rest of the franchise pages. For the player coverage, the most useful pages are the Virat Kohli and the rest of the player pages.
What the desk does when the format changes
The format is the rules that govern the platform. The rules change rarely, but when they do, the desk updates the relevant pages within an hour. The most recent format changes were: the new concussion-substitute rule in 2025, the KYC partner change in 2026, and the UPI handle change in 2026. The desk published a per-change analysis on the relevant pages and on the history of fantasy cricket.
The format changes are tracked on the latest version page, with the date of the change, the source of the change, and the editorial impact. The tracking is the source of truth for the format changes; the desk does not publish a piece that is not consistent with the tracking. The tracking is updated within an hour of any change in the format.