He batted at No.3 for the second time this season and played a timely knock.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter Abhinav Manohar played a scintillating knock in the Qualifier 1 of the Maharaja T20 Trophy between Mangalore Dragons and Hubli Tigers. He batted at No.3 for the second time this season and played a timely knock in this crucial fixture.
Manohar scored 50 runs in just 23 balls, including five boundaries and three maximums, at a strike rate of 217.39. 76% of his total runs came via fours and sixes, and he scored 23.80% of the team’s runs alone.
When Manohar came to the crease, the Hubli Tigers were off to a fine start, as their openers stitched a terrific 81-run opening stand in just 10 overs to set a strong foundation for the batters to follow. His job was to maintain the momentum and help his team get a flourishing finish in the second half of the innings.
He did precisely that with a prudent knock, highlighting his value as a power-hitter who can be flexible with his batting position and do various jobs in this format. His innings helped Hubli Tigers post a massive 210/2 in the first innings, and they later registered an emphatic 110-run win over Mangalore Dragons to storm into the final.
Sunrisers Hyderabad picked Abhinav Manohar for INR 3.20 crore in the IPL 2025 auction, intending to strengthen their lower middle-order. He had done well for the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the competition before and was expected to thrive on flat Hyderabad decks.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, as Manohar endured a poor IPL 2025, scoring only 61 runs at an average of 12.20 and a strike rate of 100 in five innings, with a best of 43. He failed to ace the finishing role for SRH in a season where they never got going.
Then, he suffered from back-to-back illnesses, which resulted in him losing muscle and fitness. For a power-hitter like him, this was a massive blow, as his power was his biggest strength.
However, Manohar has bounced back strongly and proved his worth again in the Maharaja T20 Trophy 2025. He has 267 runs at an average of 38.14 and a 172.26 strike rate in 10 innings, including two fifties.
Since numerous things didn’t work for SRH in IPL 2025, they will look to make a few changes and release some players. However, the franchise shouldn’t leave out Abhinav Manohar for multiple reasons despite an abysmal IPL 2025.
Firstly, Manohar is among the few reliable power hitters ready for the IPL stage and can be expected to perform well. He has the skills to whack pacers at will and do the arduous job of finishing the innings by batting in the lower order.
However, another aspect is that Manohar’s skills are not limited to mere power-hitting; he can move up to the order and play long innings, as seen in the latest Maharaja T20 Trophy fixture. SRH might release Ishan Kishan, who had an underwhelming IPL 2025 and cost a reasonable sum, which will leave the No.3 spot vacant.
Manohar can either be tried on this spot, or if SRH feel it’s too high, they can promote other batters and open more opportunities for him to face a higher number of balls to showcase his skills. Unlike Kishan and a few other batters in the squad, Manohar can perform the dual role and keep the team flexible, so he should get another go in IPL 2026.
