Sunrisers Hyderabad have really hit a jackpot, signing Tamil Nadu’s young prodigy, RS Ambrish at the expense of Uttar Pradesh all-rounder, Shivam Mavi, on Friday. Mavi was ruled out of IPL 2026 with a groin injury, and hasn’t represented the franchise in a single game.
SRH signed the 18-year-old Ambrish for just INR 30 lakh, with the youngster being a big part of India’s Under-19 success. The right-arm speedster finished this year’s Under-19 World Cup with the joint-most wickets for the country, picking up 11 wickets, including dismissing England opener, Joseph Moores, in the final.
Ambrish’s talent fits in a rather unique bill for the SRH, as in they get a left-handed batter and a right-arm pacer who clocks above 140kmph, adding to their already-strong fast-bowling stocks this season.
"As an allrounder, I know I have to come down the order [in white-ball cricket] and bowl overs [in different situations]," Ambrish told ESPNCricinfo.
"So, I prepare according to it and maintain my fitness. Since I was young I've liked Ben Stokes for his all-round skills."
Unlike other youngsters, the 18-year-old can bowl across phases, and is equally lethal at them all, including possessing good yorkers and slower deliveries. The youngster has already represented Tamil Nadu at the highest level, with two Ranji Trophy appearances last season, a clash against Jharkhand and then against Nagaland.
Across the two encounters, Ambrish could only pick up two wickets but showed great batting prowess, averaging 21.50, with seven boundaries across two innings. The youngster also opened the batting for the side, in their heavy defeat against Jharkhand, which shows his abilities with the bat.
Given that he’s been around the IPL circles, being part of CSK’s camp earlier last season, SRH might have found another strong youngster with a lot of potential.