SRH hand reins to Kishan, Sharma as Cummins sits 0ut
New delhi: Rockstar of Indian T20 cricket, Ishan Kishan, will be stand-in captain for injured Pat Cummins as Sunrisers Hyderabad gear up for the Indian Premier League 2026 season. The team opens against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28.
SRH confirmed on social media that Cummins will miss a few games while recovering from injury, and Abhishek Sharma will serve as deputy captain.
Both Kishan and Abhishek dazzled in the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, making their elevation to leadership roles a big boost for the franchise. The announcement also comes amid scrutiny of owner Kavya Maran for signing Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed for The Hundred, which drew criticism from Sunil Gavaskar.
Kishan, a seasoned IPL campaigner across three teams, has 2,998 runs in 119 matches at a strike rate of 137.64. He scored 317 runs in nine innings during the World Cup and impressed with his fielding, particularly when Sanju Samson took up wicketkeeping duties.
Abhishek, known for his explosive batting, overcame a slow World Cup start to hit a whirlwind 52 in the final off just 18 balls.
Cummins’ ongoing back issues remain a concern—he played only one Test in the recent Ashes and missed the T20 World Cup. With his recovery uncertain, Kishan and Abhishek could lead SRH through much of the IPL 2026 season.
