Who Is David Payne, the English seamer replacing Jack Edwards in SRH IPL 2026 squad? David Payne is a 35-year-old English left-arm fast-medium bowler who has been named as Jack Edwards’ replacement in the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad for IPL 2026. The BCCI confirmed the signing on March 24, with Payne joining SRH for ₹1.5 crore — the same base price at which he went unsold at the IPL 2026 mini-auction in December.
Payne has never played in the IPL before. But with 304 wickets in 233 T20 matches across the Vitality Blast, BBL, The Hundred, and ILT20, he is one of the most experienced white-ball bowlers in world cricket — and exactly the kind of seasoned operator SRH need with Pat Cummins also absent from the early phase of the season. He has played one ODI for England, back in 2022 against Netherlands, but has no international appearances since.
Who is David Payne? Why Did SRH Sign Him?
Jack Edwards was ruled out of IPL 2026 with a foot injury sustained during the Sheffield Shield season. The Australian all-rounder, bought for ₹3 crore at the auction, would have made his IPL debut this season after an impressive BBL 2025-26 campaign (19 wickets and 133 runs in 13 matches for Sydney Sixers).
Edwards’ absence leaves SRH without a seam-bowling all-rounder option in their overseas slots. Payne does not replace Edwards like-for-like — he is a specialist bowler rather than an all-rounder — but he brings significant T20 death-overs experience that SRH lacked depth in, particularly with Cummins unavailable.
Payne had gone unsold at the IPL 2026 auction at a base price of ₹1.5 crore, making him available as a direct replacement signing at the same value.
David Payne Stats — T20 Career
If you’re wondering who is David Payne and what his claim to an IPL team is, his T20 stats should answer some of that.
| Tournament | Matches | Wickets | Average | Economy | Best Bowling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitality Blast | 156 | 295 | 20.45 | 7.82 | 5/24 |
| ILT20 | 17 | 27 | 20.11 | 8.10 | 4/29 |
| BBL | 22 | 33 | 18.96 | 7.95 | 3/18 |
| The Hundred | 38 | 34 | 28.50 | 9.14 | 3/14 |
| Career T20s | 233 | 304 | ~21 | ~8.0 | 5/24 |
His recent form is particularly strong. In the ILT20 2025-26, he took 17 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 17.76 for Desert Vipers. In the BBL 2025-26, he claimed 11 wickets in 6 matches at 13.54 for Perth Scorchers, winning the title. In the 2024 Vitality Blast, he equalled the single-season record with 33 wickets in 17 matches, earning Player of the Tournament.
David Payne — Background and Career
Born in Poole, Dorset, Payne has been a Gloucestershire stalwart since making his debut in 2009. He holds the county’s record for best List A bowling figures — 7/29 against Essex in 2010, a spell that included four wickets in four balls. He has over 400 first-class wickets and surpassed 200 T20 wickets for Gloucestershire in the 2025 Vitality Blast.
His senior England career amounts to a single ODI against Netherlands in June 2022 (1-38 in 9 overs), where he was called up as a Covid replacement. He was part of England’s U-19 squad alongside Ben Stokes, Joe Root, and Jos Buttler at the 2010 U-19 World Cup.
In franchise cricket beyond England, Payne has represented Perth Scorchers and Adelaide Strikers in the BBL, Desert Vipers in the ILT20, and Welsh Fire in The Hundred.
What David Payne Brings to SRH
Who is David Payne and what does he bring to the table for SRH? Payne’s left-arm angle is his primary weapon. SRH’s current pace attack of Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, and Harshal Patel is entirely right-arm — Payne adds variety that opposition batters will not have faced in the nets.
His strengths in T20 cricket are well-defined:
- Powerplay swing: His ability to move the new ball both ways makes him an option with the new ball, particularly in conditions that offer early movement
- Death-overs control: A career economy of around 8.0 in T20s is respectable, and his slower-ball variations have improved significantly during his ILT20 and BBL stints
- Experience under pressure: 233 T20 matches across five leagues means he has bowled in virtually every high-pressure scenario that exists in franchise cricket
The limitation is clear — he is not a batting option. Edwards averaged over 20 with the bat in T20s and offered genuine lower-order hitting. Payne bats at No. 10 or 11 and will not replace that dimension. SRH’s balance shifts from a four-pronged overseas option that included an all-rounder to one that is more bowling-heavy.
How David Payne Fits Into SRH IPL 2026 Squad
With Cummins out and Edwards replaced, SRH’s overseas options for the opening matches are Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, and now David Payne. Only four can play in any XI.
Head and Klaasen are automatic selections. That leaves Livingstone, Carse, and Payne competing for two spots — or potentially one if SRH prefer an extra Indian player. Payne may initially serve as a squad depth option rather than a first-XI pick, but his left-arm variation could prove valuable on specific surfaces.
SRH open their IPL 2026 campaign against defending champions RCB at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28 at 7:30 PM IST. For March 28 tickets, read our detailed RCB vs SRH tickets 2026 guide.
For SRH intra squad practice match scorecard, check latest updates here on The Dakia.
