3 teams where Jhye Richardson would have been a good fit at in IPL 2026 ft. LSG

Australian speedster Jhye Richardson recently went unsold at the IPL 2026 auction. The 29-year-old pacer had a base price of INR 1.5 crore. It was the second straight auction where no teams showed any interest in the fast bowler.

Richardson’s last IPL stint came with the Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2024. He was also part of the Mumbai Indians (2023) and the Punjab Kings (2021-22) in the previous editions. Having said that, he has played only three games in the T20 league, where he scalped three wickets at an economy rate of 10.63. However, he’s a regular in the Big Bash League (BBL), picking up 103 wickets in 76 matches at an economy rate of 7.82, including five four-fers. Overall, Richardson has taken 125 wickets in 98 T20s.

Apart from T20s, Richardson has a decent international experience, having played four Tests, 15 ODIs, and 18 T20Is for Australia. He is an equally effective bowler in the powerplays and the death overs, which makes him a perfect fit in any playing XI.

In this article, we take a look at three teams that missed out on Jhye Richardson’s services in IPL 2026:

Jhye Richardson- Source: Getty

#1 Lucknow Super Giants

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were very excited to buy Anrich Nortje at the IPL 2026 auction. In such excitement, they forget to buy a strong backup like Jhye Richardson for the Proteas pacer. Notably, Nortje has a history of injuries. He has never played full league games since his debut IPL season in 2020/21.

The Super Giants had a brainfade moment as they instead bought wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis, who will be available for only four matches in the 2026 season. It’s worth mentioning that all-rounder Mitchell Marsh played as a batter in IPL 2025. The Indian fast bowling reserves lack experience, barring Mohammad Shami and Avesh Khan.

#2 Chennai Super Kings

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) missed out on Jhye Richardson, having let go of Matheesha Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman after fierce bidding wars with other IPL franchises. The five-time champions now don’t have a proper backup for Nathan Ellis. Notably, Matt Henry has a poor IPL record, managing two wickets in six games at an economy rate of 10.64. In his last five T20Is, he has managed only three wickets. It's worth mentioning that Jamie Overton failed to meet expectations last year.

The franchise is now reliant on Khaleel Ahmed, inexperienced Gurjapneet Singh, and Mukesh Choudhary to bowl alongside Ellis in the death overs. In such a scenario, Jhye Richardson could’ve added solidity to the bowling unit, particularly in the death overs.

#3 SunRisers Hyderabad

The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) are heavily reliant on skipper Pat Cummins after letting go of Mohammad Shami (traded to LSG) in their fast bowling department. Meanwhile, Harshal Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy proved very expensive with the ball, conceding runs at over nine per over in IPL 2025. Eshan Malinga has impressed in his limited outings but lacks experience. Notably, Jaydev Unadkat played in only seven matches during the previous season. Unlike Cummins and Harshal, he's most effective in the power plays and slog overs. They have roped in England’s Brydon Carse, who manages only 58 wickets in 88 T20s at an economy rate of 9.09.

Thus, Jhye Richardson could’ve provided a better bowling combination with skipper Cummins in the powerplay and death overs.

Edited by James Kuanal