Sunrisers Hyderabad have promoted Ishan Kishan to the role of stand-in captain ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League season, the franchise announced on Wednesday (March 18). The team confirmed that regular captain Pat Cummins will miss the first few games of the tournament with a lower back injury.
While Kishan was named the captain, the reigning opener Abhishek Sharma was named the vice-captain. Kishan’s promotion comes on the back of a sensational T20 World Cup 2026, where he amassed 317 runs at a strike rate of 193. He was a key part of the power play, although Abhishek endured a lean run for most of the tournament.
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Despite 2026 being Kishan’s second season with the team, the top-order batsman has been entrusted with a leadership role. The decision could stem from his recent captaincy success with Jharkhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he led the side to the title last season.
This marks a significant turnaround for Kishan, who fell out of favor with the Indian national team towards the end of 2022 and was subsequently dropped from his central contract after opting out of domestic cricket for a period.
After some time away from the game, Kishan made sure that the break did not stunt his growth. The wicket-keeper batsman has developed into a leader to watch and led Jharkhand to their first Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in 2025. Kishan amassed a massive 517 runs in just 10 matches with a staggering 197. He was the top scorer of the tournament.
In the final against Haryana, Kishan led from the front. Opening the innings, he smashed a hundred off just 49 balls to seal an impressive 69-run victory and underline his value beyond his role behind the stumps.
THE RETURN OF THE KISHANS OF INDIA
After an incredible domestic season, Kishan was brought back into the Indian team. Kishan made his chance count and was named in India’s playing eleven for the T20 World Cup. After a dismal start against USA in the opening match, Kishan hit two fifties against Namibia and Pakistan.
His innings against Pakistan was particularly impressive and proved to be the difference between the two sides. Kishan also hit a quick-fire 54 in the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand, leading India to the highest total in the tournament’s finals history.
WHAT HAPPENED TO PAT CUMMINS
Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins has been sidelined for the first few matches of the Indian Premier League due to a back injury sustained during the 2025-26 Ashes. The problem has been ongoing for some time now, with the Australian quick having been sidelined for several months since the middle of last year.
Cummins featured in just one match in the Ashes, picking up six wickets in Australia’s win over the England cricket team, before being rested for the rest of the series. He has also been ruled out of the 2026 T20 World Cup, although he is expected to be fit in time for the later stages of the IPL.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
18th March 2026 17:00 IST
