Who is Sakib Hussain? All about the 21-year-old sensation who pulled off a heist in the SRH vs RR IPL 2026 match

The Indian Premier League has always served as a platform that provides young talents with the opportunity to showcase their skills and abilities. To date, countless young players have realised their dream of playing for the national cricket team through this very platform. Just yesterday, another young player demonstrated his exceptional talent on this stage, offering compelling proof of a bright and successful future for Indian cricket. The player's name is Sakib Hussain, who is from Gopalganj, Bihar. He created history on his IPL debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals, with figures of 4 for 24. He came on to bowl the second over of the innings.

However, at that stage, RR was in deep trouble following the three wickets taken by Praful Hinge in the first over. Sakib, too, delivered precise bowling and maintained the pressure. He completely shattered RR's hopes by taking the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal in his very first over. Subsequently, when Ravindra Jadeja and Donovan Ferreira attempted to stage a comeback for the Rajasthan Royals, Sakib broke their partnership by dismissing Ferreira. Sakib did not stop there; ultimately, he also claimed the wickets of Jofra Archer and Ravi Bishnoi. 

With this, he has joined an exclusive club of bowlers who have taken four or more wickets on their IPL debut. He is the seventh bowler to achieve this feat. The list of players who accomplished this before him includes Shoaib Akhtar, Alzarri Joseph, Andrew Tye, Ashwani Kumar, Kevon Cooper, David Wiese, and his current teammate of SRH, Praful Hinge—a group in which his performance ranks as the fifth-best, along with Ashwani Kumar.

Best bowling figures on IPL debut

• Alzarri Joseph (Mumbai Indians) 12/6 vs SRH, Hyderabad, 2019  
• Andrew Tye (Gujarat Lions) 17/5 vs RPS, Rajkot, 2017
• Shoaib Akhtar (KKR) 11/4 vs DC, Kolkata, 2008
• Kevon Cooper (RR) 26/4 vs PBKS, Jaipur, 2012
• Ashwani Kumar (MI) 24/4 vs KKR, Mumbai, 2025
• Sakib Hussain (SRH) 24/4 vs RR, Hyderabad, 2026
• David Wiese (RCB) 33/4 vs MI, Bengaluru, 2015
• Praful Hinge (SRH) 34/4 vs RR, Hyderabad, 2026

Who is Sakib Hussain?

Sakib Hussain was born on December 14 2004, in Dargah Mohalla, Sadar block, Gopalganj district, approximately 185 km from Patna. His father (Ali Hussain) was a farmer, and his mother was a housewife. The family struggled financially. As his father grew older, he developed knee problems and had to give up farming. His talent was honed by local coach Tunu Bhaiya, who is credited with shaping his early career. 

You might be surprised to learn that Sakib never actually aspired to become a cricketer; his dream was to serve his country, and he wished to join the Indian Army—a goal for which he would run for hours every day. Observing this very aptitude, those close to him encouraged him to try his hand at cricket—a pursuit that would eventually become Sakib's destiny.

In his early days, Sakib used to participate in tennis-ball tournaments, where he would earn a match fee ranging from ₹500 to ₹1,000, which helped him cover his cricketing expenses.

His late brother, Mintu Bhaiya, also played a pivotal role in shaping him into a cricketer. Sakib himself has shared that Mintu Bhaiya always advised him to set his sights high and aim for something big. Sakib also acknowledged the contribution of his coach, Robin Singh.

The turning point in Sakib's cricket career arrived when he won everyone's hearts with his performance in Chandigarh, which earned him admission to the National Cricket Academy. From there, he received the opportunity to play in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Delivering a magnificent performance in the tournament, he attracted the attention of numerous franchises—including prominent names such as the Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Chennai Super Kings. However, in the interim, he was selected to join CSK as a net bowler. His bowling has even garnered praise from Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly.

In the IPL auction 2024, he was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders at his base price of 20 lakh INR. Although he didn’t get a chance to feature in the playing XI, he was a winning member of IPL 2024. After winning the IPL 2024, a video circulated on social media in which he was introducing his parents to the then-KKR Head Coach, Gautam Gambhir.

Sakib Hussain's domestic stats

Sakib made his T20 debut for Bihar in the 2022/23 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. In the very first game against Gujarat, he took 4 wickets. Although his figures did not increase from here, due to limited opportunities in the tournament. Following this, Sakib Hussain made his first-class debut in Ranji Trophy 2024/25 for Bihar. He began his career spectacularly, quickly claiming two wickets; however, he subsequently proved to be quite expensive. Sakib has played 6 FC matches so far, taking 16 wickets in 8 innings at an economy rate of 4.14. During the Ranji Trophy 2025/26, against Arunachal Pradesh at Patna, he took 10 wickets in a match. This performance of his came just before the IPL Auction 2026, for which all the franchises were preparing at the time. In the auction, Sakib was bought by SRH for INR 30 lakhs. So far, he has taken 14 wickets in 13 T20 matches.