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

South African fast-bowling legend Dale Steyn recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to engage with fans during a transit in Mumbai on Monday, January 26, 2026. Steyn, who has been a prominent voice in the T20 circuit through his coaching and commentary roles, provided a bold forecast for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

Dale Steyn’s verdict on the IPL 2026 title race

The Q&A took an interesting turn when the conversation shifted to the 2026 IPL season. When a fan directly asked, “Ipl 2026 winner?”, Steyn responded with a succinct and suggestive: “Maybe SRH.” His prediction carries significant weight given his long-standing history with Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he served as a premier pacer and later as the bowling coach.

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

Maybe SRH

— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62)

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A legacy of bowling prowess and modern batting carnage in IPL

Since replacing the Deccan Chargers in 2013, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has carved out a unique identity in the IPL, evolving from the league’s most clinical bowling unit into its most feared batting powerhouse. The franchise’s crowning achievement remains their 2016 title win, where David Warner led them to a thrilling victory over RCB, making them the only team to win the trophy after playing in the Eliminator.

Historically, SRH was defined by its ‘defend anything’ mantra, powered by the legendary Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan, reaching the playoffs in five consecutive seasons between 2016 and 2020. However, the last few years have seen a radical shift in philosophy; under the leadership of Pat Cummins, SRH has rewritten the record books, setting the highest-ever IPL total of 287/3 against RCB in 2024.

Despite a 6th-place finish in 2025, they remained the league’s entertainers, breaching the 250-run mark multiple times with the help of Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen. With a total of three final appearances (2016, 2018 and 2024) and seven playoff qualifications, the ‘Orange Army’ will enter 2026 as a team that has mastered the art of both defensive grit and absolute offensive demolition.

Key milestones in SRH history

• Maiden Title (2016): Defeated RCB in the final at Bengaluru by 8 runs.
• The Warner Era: David Warner holds the record for most Orange Caps for the franchise (2015, 2017, 2019).
• Bowling Dominance: Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the only bowler to win back-to-back Purple Caps (2016, 2017) in IPL history.
• Record Breakers: Holds the top three highest scores in IPL history (287, 278 and 277) all achieved within the 2024-2025 cycle.
• Consistency: Qualified for the playoffs in 7 out of their 13 seasons since their debut in 2013.

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