IPL 2026: Ishan Kishan to Lead Sunrisers Hyderabad, Abhishek Sharma Vice-Captain

Sunrisers Hyderabad have made Ishan Kishan their new captain for Indian Premier League 2026. This decision was taken because Pat Cummins, the current captain, might miss some matches due to injury.

Kishan, who led Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2025, has been named captain while Abhishek Sharma will serve as his deputy. Sunrisers Hyderabad shared on social media that Pat Cummins will miss a few matches in Indian Premier League 2026. They also said that Ishan Kishan will lead the team during this time, while Abhishek Sharma will be the vice-captain.

Sunrisers Hyderabad appoint Ishan Kishan as stand-in captain for IPL 2026

Cummins has been dealing with a lumbar stress back injury since July 2025 and featured in just one Ashes match in December. He missed the T20 World Cup as well.

“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,” SRH said.

Sunrisers Hyderabad will face defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their first match of Indian Premier League 2026 on March 28 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Earlier, reports had suggested that Abhishek Sharma might lead the team if Pat Cummins was unavailable. However, the franchise has opted for an experienced leader in the form of Kishan to lead the team while the explosive batter will serve as the southpaw’s deputy in the fist few matches of IPL 2026.

Abhishek Sharma has some captaincy experience, as he has led Punjab cricket team in 31 matches across formats. However, unlike Ishan Kishan, he does not have a strong or proven track record yet.

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