Ishan Kishan To Captain SRH In IPL 2026 (Source: AFP Photos)
In a significant development, Ishan Kishan will captain Sunrisers Hyderabad, the IPL 2016 winners, in the upcoming edition of the competition. Kishan, who had a spectacular T20 World Cup campaign just now, will take over the leadership duty in place of Pat Cummins.
The development came after Cummins’ prolonged back injury, which did not allow him to play the initial stage of IPL 2026. Kishan will have Abhishek Sharma as his deputy, as the Nos. 1 and 2 ICC-ranked T20I batters will take over the captaincy responsibilities.
Notably, Ishan will not captain SRH for an entire IPL 2026, as Cummins could return after initial few matches in the upcoming edition, which will get underway on March 28. SRH will kick off the proceedings against defending champions RCB at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
SRH Confirm Ishan Kishan As Captain For IPL 2026
On Wednesday, SRH took to social media to announce the blockbuster news, with both Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma being mentioned with their designated roles.
The Cricbuzz mentioned Cummins, in all likelihood, will join SRH camp for IPL 2026 on March 23, and is expected to miss the first three matches of the season. In the meantime, he will have his rehabilitation in India.
Ishan Kishan IPL Career
Hails from Jharkhand, Ishan Kishan began his IPL journey back in 2016. Gujarat Lions, who only played their part in IPL for two years, was his first ever team, the ones who bought him for INR 35 lakhs.
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After that, Mumbai Indians spent heavily on him, giving him INR 6.2 Crore contract for his services between 2018 and 2021. Later, after not retaining him before mega auction, the five-time IPL champions spent a whopping INR 15.25 Crore to buy him back before IPL 2022.
Unfortunately, due to gradual decrease in form, Kishan was released by MI, and joined SRH. The Kavya Maran-led think tank splurged INR 11.25 Crore on him, and it all appears they have hit a jackpot by signing him.
Over the years, Ishan, now 27, has batted magnificently in the IPL. He is just two runs away from breaching the 3000-run mark, averaging 29.11 while striking at 137.65. This includes a sensational century, which came last year only, for SRH.
Abhishek Sharma IPL Career
Abhishek, on the other hand, had begun his IPL journey in 2018. Delhi Daredevils (now known as Delhi Capitals) signed him for INR 55 lakh back then. After that, he joined SRH before IPL 2019, having signed a contract of INR 55 lakh.
The value increased from thereon, as Abhishek bagged INR 6.5 Crore contract (before IPL 2022) and INR 14 Crore contract (before IPL 2025) while reaching new heights.
However, Abhishek’s IPL numbers need improvement. Across 77 innings, he could only muster 1816 runs, though at an explosive strike rate of 163.02.
Also Read: Not CSK, RCB! Abhishek Sharma Reveals 1 IPL Team Ishan Kishan Wants To Play For
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