Ishan Kishan to captain Sunrisers Hyderabad in Pat Cummins’ absence

Ishan Kishan has been appointed as the interim captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad for the first few matches of IPL 2026, replacing Pat Cummins, who is recovering from a back injury. Abhishek Sharma will serve as his vice-captain

Hyderabad: Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan will lead Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for the first few matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, standing in for Australian legend Pat Cummins, who is yet to recover from a back injury, the franchise announced on Wednesday.

SRH have also stated that top-ranked T20I batter Abhishek Sharma will be Kishan’s deputy during this period.

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“Pat Cummins will miss a few matches due to his ongoing recovery. Until he recovers, Ishan Kishan will be the captain, and Abhishek Sharma will be the vice-captain,” SRH wrote in a post on Twitter.

Cummins has not played competitive cricket since the third Ashes Test in Adelaide in December 2025, following his injury during the West Indies tour due to a lumbar stress fracture in his lower back. He was ruled out of the remaining Ashes matches and the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup due to the same issue. The all-rounder is expected to join the team in the later stages of IPL 2026.

Kishan, who joined SRH in the 2025 IPL, captained Jharkhand to their first Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in the recent domestic season and has strong credentials to lead the side in Cummins’ absence. This will be his first stint as a captain in the IPL.

Abhishek, who joined SRH ahead of IPL 2019, has been a mainstay with the side, forming an ultra-attacking opening partnership with Australia’s Travis Head. While Kishan struck three fifties in India’s triumphant T20 World Cup win, Abhishek found his rhythm, smashing a half-century off just 18 balls in the final, which India won by 96 runs. He will look to continue his good form in IPL 2026 as vice-captain.

SRH, the 2016 IPL winners, will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28.