Friends, the Indian Premier League 2026 is set to begin on March 28th; however, Sunrisers Hyderabad has taken a significant step even before the league commences by changing their captain. Due to injury concerns, regular captain Pat Cummins will be unable to play in the opening matches of the season. In his absence, the franchise has entrusted the responsibility of leading the team to wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan. Meanwhile, the talented young opening batsman Abhishek Sharma has been appointed as the vice-captain. Let's dive into the full details.
SRH Announces Change in Captaincy
The franchise shared this information through an official social media post.
Pat Cummins is currently recovering from an injury and will miss a few matches at the start of the season.
Until Cummins returns fully fit, Ishan Kishan will shoulder the responsibility of leading the team as captain.
During this period, Abhishek Sharma will assist him in the role of vice-captain.
The franchise has not explicitly stated exactly how many matches Cummins is expected to miss.
Ishan Kishan Rewarded for Stellar Performance in T20 World Cup
Ishan Kishan recently impressed fans immensely with his outstanding performance in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.
He finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer in the tournament.
Across 9 matches, Ishan amassed a total of 317 runs.
He maintained an average of 35.22, while his strike rate stood at an impressive 193.29.
During the tournament, he also notched up three half-centuries.
His experience as a captain is also quite noteworthy. Prior to the World Cup, Ishan had led the Jharkhand cricket team to victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, further solidifying his credentials as a leader.
Ishan Kishan's IPL Career So Far
Ishan Kishan has played a total of 119 matches in this tournament. Batting in 112 innings, he has scored 2,998 runs.
His average is 29.10, and his strike rate is 137.64.
This left-handed batsman has a century and 17 half-centuries to his name.
His highest score in the IPL is 106*. It is also noteworthy that Ishan joined Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of the 2025 season, and the franchise has now demonstrated immense faith in him by entrusting him with the captaincy for the initial phase of the IPL 2026 season.
