Zaheer Khan criticized Sunrisers Hyderabad interim captain Ishan Kishan and said the team lacks the leadership of Pat Cummins. Zaheer said the former IPL champions lacked leadership clarity and control, which Kishan was unable to provide effectively.
Cummins is expected to be sidelined until the second part of the 2026 IPL season for workload management. In his absence, SRH named Kishan as the interim captain with Abhishek Sharma as his deputy. SRH’s results have been disappointing, with three losses from four matches and only one win. Kishan’s captaincy has come under scrutiny, with Zaheer among those questioning his ability to fill the leadership void.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Zaheer highlighted the lack of control and clarity in the batting order following the departure of the top three batsmen. He indicated that the lack of the leadership factor of Cummins to communicate a clear plan was deeply felt.
“It looks like Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, or maybe Ishan Kishan given his form, is expected to bat in a certain way. But apart from that, there’s either no clarity or control, or the missing factor of Pat Cummins, the captain, to deliver the message and have a clear leadership plan. The stand-in captain is not able to handle that. That’s a gap he has to address. Zaheer.”
‘BRIGHT FROM THE WINDOW’
Zaheer also pointed out the lack of clarity in SRH’s tactical decisions, referring to the selection of substitutes during the match against Punjab Kings. He noted that Praful Hinge was originally named as the impact submarine but was later replaced by Jaydev Unadkat, suggesting confusion.
“Klaasen needs to be pulled up for sure. In the previous game, Ishan Kishan said that our strike sub would be Praful Hinge. So it was a little bit clear. Now that the clarity has gone after their innings, with discussions about the pitch being sticky and difficult to score on, maybe they felt they needed a bowler who could mix cutters instead.” Zaheer
“I’m just speculating, but it looked like that from the outside. If it was communication, it didn’t show on the pitch. The pitch wasn’t that difficult. One has to doubt the approach and intention,” he added.
Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to improve their performance when they take on Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad on April 13.
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Published on:
13 Apr 2026 17:27 IST
