Former Indian Test opener Wasim Jaffer heaped praise on Sakib Hussain after Sunrisers Hyderabad clinched a comprehensive 47-run win against Delhi Capitals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, on Tuesday.
Hussain returned with impressive figures of 1-29 in his quota of four overs after SRH posted an above-par score of 242 runs on the board. The youngster from Bihar has scalped six wickets in three matches at an average of 14.16 and an economy rate of 7.08 in IPL 2026.
Hussain was able to nail his yorkers at the death against Delhi Capitals and once again delivered for the Orange Army. The 21-year-old has shown the right temperament and has reaped rewards for bowling the accurate line and length.
Wasim Jaffer said on his YouTube Channel, “His action is quite unique, almost like a whippy action, so it’s difficult to read whether it’s a slower ball or a faster one. I thought he mixes it up very well. So I feel he is probably the find of the season for SRH.”
He added, “It seems that in this format, it is very important for a bowler to have variations, and along with variations, you also need good execution. I thought that confidence is clearly visible in Sakib’s bowling. I mean, his pace is also around 138-140 km/h, so it’s not slow. Plus, his slower one is very good. He can bowl slow bouncers and yorkers as well. So if you have these three or four types of deliveries and you are able to execute them well, I think that is more than enough for this format.”
The former domestic giant also praised Ehsan Malinga for his superb spell. The Sri Lankan pacer returned with figures of 4-32 in his quota of four overs and played a key role in restricting DC under 200.
“Eshan Malinga is bowling very well. It seemed that after the first three or four matches, he gradually got better, and even today he bowled really well. Plus, Nitish Kumar Reddy is playing a good role. Apart from that, I thought Sakib Hussain is a very good find. SRH did not play Prafull Hinge today. But overall, it feels like the bowling is getting more refined, which is a good sign. Shivang is doing well anyway, and Harsh Dubey was used properly today; he was given a spell towards the end.”
Sunrisers Hyderabad will next take on Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur, on Saturday.
