Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has backed Sunrisers Hyderabad’s decision to appoint Ishan Kishan as the alternate captain for IPL 2026. Chopra described the move as a “beautiful story” and highlighted Kishan’s journey from disgrace to leading the big franchise.
SRH have confirmed that regular skipper Pat Cummins will miss the opening few matches due to a lower back injury. in his absence, Kishan was handed over to the captain, Abhishek Sharma was appointed as his deputy.
Read the full article
Taking to his YouTube channel, Chopra praised the franchise for trusting a player who has consistently delivered across formats and levels.
“Ishan Kishan has become the captain now and isn’t that a beautiful story? A guy who just worked hard and kept his head down, who just did his job,” Chopra said.
“In my opinion, they did absolutely the right thing by going in the direction of a player with a proven track record,” he added.
He emphasized how Kishan’s performances at the domestic level and his return to the Indian team paved the way for this occasion.
“He played for Jharkhand, scored runs, made his team win and from there he became a part of the Indian team. Then there were some form issues, things changed and he came into the XI,” he added.
“He scored goals but then he was asked to give his gloves and his number but he scored there as well and now he is the captain of a very big franchise,” Chopra said.
HOW WAS ISHANA KISHANA’S COMEBACK?
Ishan Kishan’s story over the past few years feels like one of those classic “down and back up” arcs.
Not too long ago, he was out of the Indian set-up, off the main contract list, and questions were being asked about where he stood in the pecking order. Instead of making noise, Kishan went back to crushing.
Domestic cricket became his stage. He led Jharkhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, not only captaining but also dominating with the bat. 517 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 197 made him the top scorer of the tournament and more importantly he led his team to their first ever title.
This run made the selectors take notice.
Back in India colors for the 2026 FIFA T20 World Cup, Kishan didn’t explode right away. A quiet start, but then came the shift. Fifties against Namibia and Pakistan, a losing streak against Pakistan turned into a real effort to win the match.
And then the big scene. final. Kishan came in and played a knock of 54 runs at a striking pace, to help India reach the highest total in the T20 World Cup final.
A total of 317 runs at a strike rate of 193 in the tournament, he finished the tournament as India’s second highest run scorer behind Sanju Samson.
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
19 March 2026 14:03 IST
