as Indian Premier League 2026 is moving towards the end of its business, the focus is once again on the all-rounders who continue to shape the fortunes of franchises in pressure situations. Former India opener Akash Chopra He believes one player stands out above the rest of the stars this season Sunrisers Hyderabad.
With teams battling it out for play-off spots, Chopra hailed the talented youngster as the best all-rounder of IPL 2026 so far, highlighting his impact with both bat and ball throughout the campaign. The former cricketer particularly highlighted his growing maturity, improved bowling pace and ability to perform in multiple phases of the batting.
Aakash Chopra has been named the best all-rounder in IPL 2026
Speaking after Sunrisers Hyderabad’s commanding win over Punjab Kings, Chopra chose Nitish Reddy as the best among all-rounders this season. He explained why Nitish has become such a valuable asset for SRH this season. He brought a rare balance to the side by consistently contributing between young departments, he said.
Chopra highlighted that no all-rounder in the tournament has been able to combine wicketkeeping performances with impressive batting numbers like Nitish. He emphasized the importance of him in the 11 game, noting that the team looked noticeably weaker in a match that the young man missed due to illness.
“He is the best all-rounder in this tournament at the moment. No other all-rounder has scored 200 runs and taken five or more wickets. The team suddenly looked weak when he left the match. He was in bad shape and he looks brilliant as soon as he comes back,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
The former India pacer also praised Nitish for consciously working on increasing his bowling pace. Chopra noted that the improvement was not a fluke but a result of his dedicated effort and awareness of what his team required of him in the current format.
“He bowls in different phases. Why does he pace? It’s because you feel he has to pace. The pace won’t automatically pick up. He realized he had to do something. So he worked for it and he came after he picked up his pace,” past key added.
He further praised Nitish’s manner of adapting to different match situations, while providing bowling seams in the Powerplay while also delivering useful overs in the middle stages. Chopra added that such versatility differentiates elite T20 all-rounders from regular utility players.
“He bowls the seams in the Powerplay and takes important wickets. He bowls an over or two in the middle innings as well. He is consistent and contributes,” Chopra added.
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SRH continue their dominant run with a big win over PBKS
Nitish’s growing reputation comes at a time when Sunrisers Hyderabad are enjoying an excellent run in IPL 2026. In their last outing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, SRH beat Punjab Kings by 33 runs in a high-scoring thriller to climb to the top of the points table.
Batting first, Hyderabad produced another batting masterclass and posted a daunting total of 235/4. Heinrich Klaasen While leading the charge with 43 deliveries off 69 Ishan Kishi He continued his good form with a quick 55 off 32 balls. Punjab Kings’ batting woes added to their misery as several dropped catches allowed the SRH batting to fully capitalize.
In reply, Punjab Kings collapsed early after losing key wickets within the Powerplay, including the captain. Shreyas Iyer. Although the young Australian is inclined Cooper Connolly Smashing 107 off just 59 balls, he produced a sensational unbeaten century, at the end of which the target became too steep.
SRH captain Pat Cummins played a crucial role with the ball, finishing with figures of 2/34 and led his side intelligently in difficult moments. His leadership and disciplined bowling earned him the Man of the Match award as Hyderabad handed Punjab Kings their third straight defeat.
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