Former India opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth has taken aim at Abhishek Sharma after another disappointing showing in an IPL playoff game. In the Eliminator of IPL 2026, Sunrisers Hyderabad were up against Rajasthan Royals, and the night began in the worst possible way for the SRH opener as Jofra Archer struck him for a duck off just two deliveries. Archer targeted the body with a well-directed bouncer, forcing Abhishek into an edge that was taken cleanly by the wicketkeeper. That early blow set the tone for Hyderabad’s chase of 244, with the franchise eventually collapsing to 196 all out.
Srikkanth did not hold back in his criticism, suggesting the problem has been recurring whenever SRH reach the business end of the tournament. “Abhishek Sharma has always failed in the playoffs. He has been a huge failure in the playoffs. That’s been SRH’s problem since 2024,” Srikkanth said in a video shared on his YouTube channel. He added that even when there was a chance to build momentum, Archer still managed to dismantle SRH during the most crucial phase. “Archer finished SRH in the powerplay despite Ishan Kishan’s blinder,” the former opener remarked.
Archer indeed sparked an early collapse, removing SRH’s top three in the Powerplay: Abhishek, Travis Head, and Ishan Kishan. The Royals never truly allowed Hyderabad to recover from the impact of those wickets, and the match ultimately swung decisively in Rajasthan’s favour as they won by 47 runs. After dismissing Abhishek on the second ball of the innings, Archer was put under pressure briefly, only for Ishan Kishan to respond with boundaries. The momentum, however, was short-lived as Archer brought the spell to a sharp end, sending Kishan back with a scorching delivery clocking over 150 kmph. Kishan cut the ball straight to the fielder at extra cover, and the chance to turn the contest on its head slipped away.
Even though Travis Head tried to generate some speed in the chase, Archer struck again to end his innings and effectively extinguish SRH’s hopes while the game was still in the Powerplay. With the early wickets piling up, Hyderabad’s batting order struggled to find any consistent rhythm, and their total of 196 proved insufficient against a Royals side that had already done the hard work in the opening phase.
Srikkanth also questioned SRH’s decision-making with the batting lineup. He pointed out that Smaran Ravichandran was promoted ahead of Heinrich Klaasen at number four, a move he felt did not make sense in the context of the match-up. Ravichandran, in turn, could not stay long, getting dismissed by Nandre Burger off a four-ball sequence. “Travis Head is just blindly slogging. I am not sure why they sent Smaran ahead of Klassen. Was Klaasen not willing to play Archer, or did SRH want to send Klaasen after Archer’s opening spell finished? It was unclear what their strategy was. They got to 50 in the third over itself, but once Kishan fell, it was a disastrous slide,” Srikkanth concluded.
With the victory over SRH, Rajasthan Royals advanced to Qualifier 2, where they will take on Gujarat Titans next.
