IPL 2026: Ishan Kishan to lead SRH in initial games
What's the story
In a major development, Sunrisers Hyderabad have appointed Ishan Kishan as their stand-in captain ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League season. The Indian batter will lead the Orange Army in place of the injured Pat Cummins for the first few games. Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma will serve as his deputy. Notably, there is still no clarity on when the Australian will join the team.
Twitter Post
SRH confirm development on X
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β SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) March 18, 2026
Pat Cummins will miss a few games while recovering from injury.
Until he recovers, Ishan Kishan will be the Captain and Abhishek Sharma will be the Vice-Captain. pic.twitter.com/etXJUkQJeG
Impact
T20 WC title win with IndiaΒ
Ishan was instrumental in India's title-winning ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. He was India's second-highest run-scorer with 317 runs in nine innings at an average of 35.22 and a strike rate above 193. His performance included three half-centuries, one of which came in the final against New Zealand. Ishan batted at No. 3 after Sanju Samson returned to the Playing XI.
IPL numbers
A look at Ishan's IPL journey
Ishan has been a key player in the IPL, having played 119 matches for three franchises, including SRH and Mumbai Indians (MI). He has scored 2,998 runs in 112 innings at an average of 29.10 and a strike rate of 137.64. His tally includes a ton and 17 half-centuries. With the wicket-keeping gloves, Ishan has been instrumental with 59 catches and five stumpings.
Information
What about Cummins's availability?
Cummins has been away from international cricket for a while, with his last appearance coming in December 2025. The SRH captain also missed the T20 World Cup 2026 due to injury concerns and has been working his way back to full fitness ever since.