While cricket lovers are eagerly waiting for the Indian Premier League (IPL)to kick off from March 28, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has come up with an important team update.
England pacer David Payne will replace Australia’s Jack Edwards in this IPL season, the team announced. The move comes as a result of an unfortunate foot injury to Edwards. He had been signed by SRH for Rs 3 crore during the IPL 2026 mini-auction. This setback forced the franchise to quickly look for a suitable replacement ahead of the season commencement.
In response, David Payne will join SRH for Rs 1.5 crore and has featured in one ODI for England, played 233 T20 matches, claiming 304 wickets.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have named Saurabh Dubey as a replacement for the injured Akash Deep. As per PTI, India pacer Akash Deep was ruled out of the tournament due to a lumbar stress injury. He will remain under the supervision of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) medical team at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Saurabh, the 28-year-old Vidarbha bowler, who is yet to make his IPL debut, was previously part of the SRH squad.
IPL 2026, set to run from March 28 to May 31, promises intense competition among ten teams. The season opening match will see RCB facing SRH at 7.30 pm in Bengaluru. In phase 1 of the IPL 2026 season, there will be 20 matches being played across 10 venues, including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, Kolkata, and Chennai.
