IPL 2026: Varun Aaron praises SRH youngsters Sakib and Praful after playoff-clinching win

New Delhi, May 19 Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling coach Varun Aaron praised young bowlers Praful Hinge and Sakib Husain after team’s secured their spot in the IPL 2026 playoffs with a five-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk.

In a discussion on JioHotstar SRH bowling coach Aaron attributed the duo’s growth this season to their eagerness and hard work.

“A lot of credit goes to Praful Hinge and Sakib Husain because both of them are very eager to learn and aim to play for India,” Aaron said.

“When young players have that kind of ambition, dedication and hard work follow naturally. Both of them put in a lot of effort, not just during the tournament but also in the lead-up to the IPL. Our preparations with them started almost two months before the season. We organized specialized camps and worked closely on different aspects of their bowling.”

“The most impressive thing was how open they were to learning, and now they are starting to see the results of all that hard work.”

The pair justified that trust with key performances during CSK’s innings. Sakib dismissed the dangerous Urvil Patel, while both young bowlers took two wickets each to help limit Chennai to 180/7.

Ishan Kishan then led SRH’s chase with a steady 70 off 47 balls, while Klaasen’s 47 shifted the momentum significantly in the middle overs.

Aaron also noted Klaasen’s growing role in the team. “One area where we struggled last season was finishing games when the top order didn’t fully deliver. This year, Heinrich Klaasen has taken on that responsibility very well,” Aaron said.

“What makes him special is how easily he can change his approach, going from rotating the strike at a run-a-ball to suddenly scoring eight or nine runs an over. That transition is tough, but Klaasen makes it seem effortless.”

“The innings he played in this match showed his quality, especially some of the shots against spin, where he created space and hit boundaries off the back foot with impressive ease.”

With the win, SRH became the third team to qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs, joining Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

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