Ishan Kishan to captain SRH in Cummins' absence

Ishan Kishan will lead Sunrisers Hyderabad for the opening few matches of IPL 2026, stepping in for Pat Cummins, who is yet to fully recover from a back injury. Abhishek Sharma will serve as Kishan's deputy during this period.

Sources close to SRH have told Cricbuzz that the arrangement is only temporary, with regular captain Cummins set to resume leadership duties once he regains full fitness. An official announcement is expected shortly.

It is not yet clear how many matches Cummins will miss, but it is understood that the Australia captain will report to the SRH camp on March 23. He is expected to undergo rehabilitation with the franchise in India, and as reported by Cricbuzz yesterday, he could miss the first three matches of the season.

SRH begin their campaign against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28. Their second fixture is also away, against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 2, before they return home to face Lucknow Super Giants on April 5.

Cummins, 32, has been out of action since December, when he featured in just the one Ashes Test, in Adelaide. A long-standing back injury kept him sidelined before and after that game. He also missed the recently concluded T20 World Cup, but sources within Sunrisers Hyderabad have confirmed to Cricbuzz that he has received clearance from Cricket Australia to honour his IPL contract. However, he is expected to need some time before returning to match action.

Cummins has captained SRH in 30 matches and has won 15 games and lost 14, with one ending in a no result. In 2024, he guided the side to the final, where they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders. Last season, SRH finished sixth, managing six wins and seven defeats.

Sources have told Cricbuzz that the SRH management was always clear that Ishan would lead the side in Cummins' absence, despite intense speculation over the interim captaincy. Both Ishan and Abhishek played key roles in India's successful T20 World Cup campaign recently, but Ishan, 27, being the senior, has got the nod. He has featured in 119 IPL matches, while the 25-year-old Abhishek has played 77.

Click here to read article