Sunrisers Hyderabad are set to begin the IPL 2026 season with a new face at the helm. With Australian pace ace Pat Cummins still working his way back from a persistent lumbar stress injury, sources close to the franchise indicate that wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has emerged as the preferred choice to take on the captaincy at least on an interim basis as SRH prepare for their season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28.
Cummins, who led SRH to the IPL 2024 final with an aggressive, high-voltage brand of cricket that captured the imagination of fans across the country, has been sidelined since July 2025 with the back issue. He made a brief comeback during the Ashes series last December, but missed the T20 World Cup 2026 entirely and has not yet received clearance from Cricket Australia to return to action. With less than two weeks to go before the IPL season kicks off, the franchise has reportedly moved ahead with discussions on his replacement and Kishan has come out on top.
The choice of the 27-year-old over the other leading internal candidate, Abhishek Sharma, reflects SRH’s preference for proven leadership over potential. While both are integral to the franchise’s plans, Kishan brings a track record that goes well beyond what most give him credit for. His captaincy resume at the domestic level is compelling he led Jharkhand across 79 matches in multiple formats, captained India at the Under-19 World Cup in 2016 taking the side to the final, and most recently guided Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title. Across his T20 captaincy career, Kishan has won 23 of his 29 matches as skipper an enviable win percentage of 79.31.
Abhishek Sharma, by comparison, has captained Punjab in 31 domestic T20 matches but lacks the same depth of senior-level leadership experience. In a situation where SRH need someone to walk in and command the dressing room from day one, without the luxury of time to settle in, Kishan’s record has made the decision relatively straightforward for management.
If the appointment is confirmed, Kishan would become SRH’s 11th captain in the franchise’s IPL history, and the first Indian to lead the side since Bhuvneshwar Kumar held the role in 2023. It would also mark Kishan’s debut as an IPL captain a significant milestone for a player whose career has seen some turbulence in recent years, including a period in 2023-24 that cost him his India place.
Coming off a strong T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, Kishan arrives at SRH in confident form. His ability to take on the powerplay as an opener along with his wicketkeeping credentials makes him a natural leader in the SRH mould, a franchise that has always prized aggressive, front-foot cricketers.
SRH are yet to issue an official statement confirming the captaincy appointment. But with the season opener barely days away, clarity is expected imminently.
