Sunrisers Hyderabad have signed up World Cup-winning cricketer to replace injured Shivam Mavi in the remaining IPL 2026 season.
Published: May 1, 2026 5:10 PM IST
IPL 2026: Kavya Maran’s Sunrisers Hyderabad are currently comfortably placed on the IPL 2026 Points Table in third position and appear strong favourites to qualify for the Playoffs stages this year. After posting five successive wins in the IPL 2026 season, SRH announced the signing of a new player – RS Ambrish – as replacement of injured pacer Shivam Mavi for the remaining season.
Ambrish was Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s teammate in the victorious India Under-19 World Cup 2026-winning squad earlier this year. The 18-year-old from Chennai is a seam-bowling all-rounder and has been signed up by SRH for Rs 30 lakh.
RS Ambrish, the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026 winner, joins our squad as Shivam Mavi’s replacement.
Go well, Ambrish pic.twitter.com/nherHX6l3N
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) May 1, 2026
“Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have picked RS Ambrish as an injury replacement for Shivam Mavi for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Mavi, a right-arm medium pacer, has been ruled out of the ongoing season due to a groin injury,” a BCCI statement read.
“RS Ambrish, who is an all-rounder, was a part of the triumphant India Under-19 squad of ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup 2026. He was also India Under-19’s joint-highest wicket-taker at the tournament, with 11 wickets against his name. Ambrish, who is a right-arm medium pacer and a left-handed batter, will join SRH for INR 30 Lakh,” the statement added.
Mavi, another former India Under-19 player, had been bought for Rs 75 lakh by Kavya Maran’s SRH in the IPL 2026 mini-auction. But he has not managed to play a single match in the Indian Premier League in the last 4 years. His last appearance in the IPL was in 2022 season for the Kolkata Knight Riders, when he picked up 5 wickets in 6 matches.
Ambrish was one of only three cricketers apart from U-19 captain Ayush Mhatre and Sooryavanshi with first-class experience in the squad during the World Cup. He had also bowled to CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad at the Chennai Super Kings Academy last year.
He has played a couple of matches for Tamil Nadu in Ranji Trophy tournament after making his first-class debut last year. In fact, TN gave him the opportunity to open the batting with Narayan Jagadeesan on his Ranji Trophy debut last year against Jharkhand.
“He was a natural left-hander. I tried to change him to a right-hander and see what works for him but we understood left is natural for him. He bowls at a sharp pace with the right hand and I didn’t want to disturb him,” Ambrish’s father R. Sukumar is quoted as saying by ESPN website.
“I remember at that time, he picked up my cricket bat and wanted to play. At the age of one year or so, other kids will pick up plastic bats, but Ambrish was picking up my cricket bat. I had a fear he would hurt himself but he seemed comfortable and I understood he had the passion and spark for the game,” Sukumar said recalling Ambrish’s childhood days.
SRH will play their next IPL 2026 match against Kolkata Knight Riders at home on Sunday, May 3.
