Sunrisers Hyderabad face a captaincy dilemma ahead of IPL 2026 with regular skipper Pat Cummins still recovering from a lumbar bone stress back injury. The franchise has identified Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma as the two frontrunners to lead the side in the Australians’ absence.
SRH open their campaign against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 28 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Why Is Pat Cummins Unavailable for SRH
Cummins has not played competitive cricket since the third Ashes Test in Adelaide in December 2025. The back injury first ruled him out of the remaining Ashes matches and then forced him to miss Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign.
He remains under physio care and must clear fitness tests before joining the SRH setup. A source confirmed that the team management is still deciding between Kishan and Abhishek as the interim captain.
The Case for Ishan Kishan as SRH Captain
Kishan enters IPL 2026 riding a wave of superb form. He finished as India’s second-highest run scorer at the T20 World Cup with 317 runs in nine innings at a strike rate above 193.
He smashed three half-centuries during the tournament, including one in the final. Kishan also captained Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in the recent domestic season. That leadership experience gives him a strong edge in the captaincy race.
In 119 IPL matches across three franchises, Kishan has scored 2,998 runs at a strike rate of 137.64. He scored 354 runs in 14 matches for SRH last season at a strike rate of 152.58.
The Case for Abhishek Sharma as SRH Captain
Abhishek has been with SRH since 2019 and knows the franchise inside out. He forms a destructive opening partnership with Travis Head.
The left-hander delivered a match-winning 18-ball fifty in the T20 World Cup final, helping India win by 96 runs. However, he has no prior IPL captaincy experience.
What Happens Next
The interim captain will attend the IPL 2026 captains and managers meet on March 25 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
A customary photoshoot with the tournament trophy will also take place. Neither Kishan nor Abhishek has led an IPL side before, making this a landmark moment for whoever gets the nod.
Cummins’ absence hurts SRH beyond just leadership. The team loses its most dependable bowler in what many consider its most vulnerable department.
