IPL 2026: Ishan Kishan to captain SRH in Cummins' absence

Ishan Kishan will lead Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first few matches of IPL 2026. He is stepping in for Pat Cummins, who hasn’t fully recovered from a back injury. Abhishek Sharma will serve as Kishan's deputy during this period.

Sources close to SRH told Cricbuzz that this move is temporary. Regular captain Cummins will resume his leadership duties once he fully recovers. An official declaration is anticipated shortly.

Pat Cummins Likely to Miss Opening Matches

Cummins' exact match absences aren't clear. Yet, the Australian captain will join the SRH camp on March 23. He is expected to recover with the team in India. According to Cricbuzz, he might miss the first three matches of the season.

SRH’s IPL 2026 Opening Match Schedule

SRH kicks off its season against the defending champions, Illustrious Challengers Bengaluru. This match takes place at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28. Their next match is against the Kolkata Knight Riders on April 2. After that, they return home to face the Lucknow Super Giants on April 5.

Cummins, 32, has not been active since December. He performed well in the Fiery Debris Test in Adelaide. A long-standing back injury kept him sidelined for some time before and after that game.

He also missed the recent T20 World Cup. Sources from Sunrisers Hyderabad told Cricbuzz that he has cleared it with Cricket Australia to fulfill his IPL contract. Be that as it may, he is anticipated to need some time before returning to match action.

Cummins has led SRH in 30 matches. He won 15 and lost 14, with one match ending in no result. In 2024, he guided the side to the final, where they lost to the Kolkata Knight Riders. Last season, SRH wrapped up 6th, overseeing six wins and seven defeats.

SRH Confirms Ishan Kishan as Stand-in Captain

Sources told Cricbuzz that SRH confirmed Ishan would lead the team while Cummins is away. This comes amid strong rumors about the interim captaincy.

Ishan and Abhishek both played key roles in India's recent T20 World Cup campaign. Yet, Ishan, at 27, received the nod as the senior player. He has highlighted in 119 IPL matches, whereas the 25-year-old Abhishek has played 77.

Abhishek or Ishan, Who Will Lead SRH?

With Cummins absent, India star Abhishek Sharma might take on the captaincy for Sunrisers Hyderabad. The left-hander is right now positioned as the No. 1 T20I batter in the world and moreover lifted the T20 World Cup trophy in Ahmedabad recently. He scored a pivotal fifty in the last match against New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan is also in the blend after he played a key part for India in the as of late concluded T20 World Cup. He did great in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Jharkhand, leading them to their first title. It will be interesting to see who gets to lead SRH in case Cummins misses out on a few games.

Last year, SRH wrapped up the season in 6th place with a fair six wins from 14 matches. Heinrich Klaasen was South Africa’s top run-scorer. He proved his value after being bought for Rs 23 crore at the auction. Cummins, took the most wickets for the group along with Harshal Patel.

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