Not RCB! Dale Steyn surprises fans with his IPL 2026 winner prediction

South African fast bowling legend Dale Steyn On Monday, January 26, 2026, he recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to connect with his fans while in transit in Mumbai. Steyn, a prominent voice on the T20 circuit through his coaching and commentary roles, gave a bold prediction for what lies ahead. Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

Dale Steyn’s verdict on the IPL 2026 title race

The question and answer took an interesting turn when the conversation turned to the 2026 IPL season. When a fan asked directly, “Ipl 2026 winner?”Steyn replied succinctly and suggestively: “Maybe SRH.” His prediction carries considerable weight given his long history Sunrisers Hyderabadwhere he worked as a first-order worker and later as a bowling coach.

This optimism follows SRH’s aggressive strategy in the 2025 mega-auction, which bolsters an already explosive line-up to secure them high-profile stars like Ishan Kishan. Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen. Steyn’s “maybe” hints at the franchise’s potential to finally break their title drought, especially after becoming the first team to realistically threaten the 300-run mark the previous season.

Maybe SRH

— Dale Stein (@DaleSteyn62) January 27, 2026

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A legacy of IPL bowling prowess and modern batting carnage

since the replacement Deccan chargers in 2013, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) transformed from the most clinical bowling unit in the league to the most feared batting force, creating a unique identity in the IPL. The franchise’s greatest success remains their success won the 2016 titlewhere David Warner led them to a thrilling win over RCB, making them the only team to win the trophy after playing in an Eliminator.

Historically, SRH has been defined by the mantra of ‘defend all’, espoused by the legendary. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan made the playoffs in five consecutive seasons between 2016 and 2020. However, the last few years have seen a radical shift in philosophy; under his leadership Pat CumminsSRH rewrote the record books highest IPL total of 287/3 2024 vs RCB.

Despite finishing 6th in 2025, they have remained the entertainers of the league and have crossed the 250-run mark many times with their help. Head of Travis, Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen. With just three finals appearances (2016, 2018 and 2024) and seven playoff berths, the Orange Army will enter 2026 as a team that has mastered the art of both solidity in defense and absolute destruction in attack.

Major milestones in SRH history

• Girl Title (2016): Defeated RCB by 8 runs in the final in Bengaluru.
• Warner Era: David Warner holds the record for most Orange Caps for the franchise (2015, 2017, 2019).
• Bowling advantage: Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the only player in IPL history to win back-to-back Purple Caps (2016, 2017).
• Record breakers: Holds the top three highest scores (287, 278 and 277) in IPL history achieved during the 2024-2025 cycle.
• Sequence: Since his debut in 2013, he has qualified for the playoffs in 7 out of 13 seasons.

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