IPL 2026: Kishan to lead Sunrisers in Cummins’ absence

Ishan Kishan has been appointed stand-in captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of IPL 2026, with opener Abhishek Sharma named his deputy.

The India wicketkeeper-batter will lead the side in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins, who is currently recovering from a back injury that also ruled him out of the recent T20 World Cup.

“Pat Cummins will miss a few games while recovering from injury. Until he returns, Ishan Kishan will serve as captain and Abhishek Sharma as vice-captain,” the franchise posted on X on Wednesday (March 18, 2026).

This marks a rare moment in IPL history, where every team features an Indian captain — at least until Cummins regains full fitness, the last time being in the early stages of the 2019 edition.

Cummins has led Sunrisers since 2024, leading them to the final in his debut season. The team, however, slipped to a sixth-place finish last year and missed out on the playoffs. Overall, in 30 matches as skipper, he has registered 15 wins, 14 losses, and one No Result.

Kishan, who was signed for ₹11.25 crore in 2025, made an immediate impact with an unbeaten 47-ball 106 on SRH debut against Rajasthan Royals. His form, however, tapered off as the season progressed, ending with 354 runs from 13 innings at a strike rate of 152.58.

The 27-year-old heads into IPL 2026 in excellent touch. He guided Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, its maiden domestic title, finishing as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 517 runs in 10 innings. That earned him a national team recall for its title-winning T20 World Cup campaign, where he amassed 317 runs, the second-most for India.

SRH will kick off its campaign this year against defending champion Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28.