‘Can you continue with this fake bowling?’: Krishnamachari Srikkanth on SRH bowling after RCB drubbing IPL 2026

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) bowling attack was mercilessly lambasted by India's 1983 World Cup-winner Krishnamachari Srikkanth after their stinging defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2026 opener on March 28. After witnessing the bowling unit get dismantled in the IPL 2026 clash, the former India selector slammed the performance and bluntly referred to the SRH bowling line-up as terrible.

ALSO READ: 'Loss of Indian cricket': Ambati Rayudu's bold plea to Virat Kohli after heroic knock in IPL 2026 opener

Krishnamachari Srikkanth calls SRH bowling attack 'terrible'

The SRH bowling unit looked noticeably handicapped in the match, missing the services of their regular skipper and pace spearhead Pat Cummins. In his absence, the bowling attack completely failed to defend a massive total of 201 runs as Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal powered the hosts to a breezy victory with their blazing fifties respectively. RCB gunned down the target with an 26 balls to spare, officially making it the fastest 200-plus chase in IPL history.

“If you play with Harshal Patel and Unadkat as your main bowlers, only god can save them. How long can they continue to manage with this fake bowling? Eventually, you need some good bowlers. It’s not just a judgment based on one match. And yet they keep hyping about scoring 300 with the bat. Their bowling can’t go on with these kinds of bowlers. They’ll need 400 with this bowling,” said Srikkanth on his YouTube channel.

ALSO READ: Worrisome update on Dhoni's injury, CSK legend to miss more matches in IPL 2026

SRH fail to defend 201-run total against RCB

SRH bowling attack struggled big time during the chase, with Harshal Patel and Sri Lankan pacer Eshan Malinga proving to be the most expensive contributors to the defeat. The duo failed to find any rhythm against the aggressive RCB batters, consistently leaking runs and failing to provide the necessary breakthroughs for their side. In a combined effort that lasted just 4.4 overs, the two seamers surrendered a staggering 74 runs. Even more concerning for the SRH management was their inability to trouble the opposition, as both bowlers finished their spells without managing a single dismissal.

“SRH bowling is seriously terrible. They are opening with Nitish Kumar Reddy. I can’t even understand the logic behind that. Payne just took a fluke two wickets. Malinga got smashed. How long can they do with this kind of bowling lineup? Even if Cummins comes back, this bowling looks too weak. The speeds of these bowlers are also so low. Playing guys like Payne, they have no scope,” added Srikkanth.

Meanwhile, the former India captain was incredibly effusive in his praise for RCB batter Devdutt Padikkal. He specifically highlighted the young left-hander's explosive knock of 61 off just 26 deliveries as the absolute game-changer. According to the veteran leader, it was Padikkal’s fearless, high-tempo innings that completely destabilised the SRH bowling attack and perfectly set up the record-breaking run chase for the home side.

“It was an extraordinary knock. This proves again that if you do well in domestic cricket and return to the basics, you’ll do well at higher levels. By going back to the basics, you correct yourself and come back. He played effortless shots. He finished off the SRH bowling,” Srikkanth concluded.