New Delhi [India], March 23 (ANI): Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan feels that young batting all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy could play the role of the 'glue' for an ultra-aggressive Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

SRH will start their IPL 2026 season against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28. While everyone has eyes on a power-packed batting group of Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen and Liam Livingstone, a young Nitish, the 'Emerging Player' award winner back in 2024, will also be aiming for a comeback season after a poor 2025 IPL.

Speaking on his Youtube channel, Pathan said about NKR, 'If he performs his role well, I think he can act as the glue in this unit, which is otherwise very ultra-aggressive. It will be interesting to see how Hyderabad counters this challenge.'

We saw that his numbers dropped compared to the previous year. In 2024, he scored more than 300 runs and had a good strike rate. But what happened last year? His runs almost halved to around 180, and his strike rate dropped to about 119. It is not like he was batting too low either. In about 7 out of 11 innings, he got opportunities around number four. So, he was unable to capitalize on those chances,' he added.

The 2024 edition saw him get the 'Emerging Player of the Season' honours, scoring 303 runs in 11 innings with two fifties at a strike rate of 143 and taking three wickets with his seam bowling. Last season, however, he could make just 182 runs in 13 matches at an average of 22.75 and a strike rate of almost 119, with a best score of 32 and took two wickets.

He also pointed out that SRH will miss their captain Pat Cummins, as the Australian star is set to miss the early part of IPL due to injuries, and guidance from someone who instilled aggression into SRH's line-up will be missed.

'His absence will definitely impact how the game is managed. When a young player comes under pressure, they tend to look towards a senior player for guidance. Not having him regularly in the dressing room at the start will also be difficult for Hyderabad. So, from that perspective, his absence will certainly be felt,' he said.

'Pat Cummins not being there at the start is a big factor. His bowling and his captaincy have always been exceptional, and his leadership is often talked about. Last year, he matched Harshal Patel with 16 wickets. Even before that, he had taken 18 wickets in a season. His batting is also very important. When he comes in around number eight, he can hit big shots, and the aggression that has been instilled in Hyderabad has largely come from Captain Cummins,' he added.

He also spoke on how high Ishan Kishan's graph has gone since leading Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) with 517 runs in 10 matches with two centuries and two fifties, which earned him a comeback to Team India, a T20 World Cup title-winning run with 317 runs and three fifties and the captaincy of SRH in the absence of Cummins.

The all-rounder said that the responsibility now lies with Ishan and feels that over Abhishek, who has also served Punjab as a captain, Ishan feels a better choice.

'This time, due to the absence of Pat Cummins, you'll get to see Ishan Kishan as the captain. Ishan Kishan's graph is on an upward trajectory. While playing for Jharkhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he led the team as captain and lifted the trophy. Now, the responsibility will be on him,' he said.

'We also saw in the World Cup that he delivered outstanding batting performances. When a player has that kind of confidence, giving him the captaincy makes sense. There were also discussions that Abhishek Sharma could be made captain. He has been appointed as vice-captain by Hyderabad, but it is better to go with Ishan Kishan,' he added. (ANI)