Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan [Source: AFP]Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) recently made an important decision before the start of IPL 2026. The franchise announced that Ishan Kishan will lead the team in the opening matches of the season. This decision came as regular captain Pat Cummins continues to recover from an injury.As a result, the team management needed a temporary leader for the early part of the tournament. Therefore, SRH decided to give the captaincy responsibility to the Indian wicketkeeper-batter. At the same time, Abhishek Sharma was appointed as the vice-captain of the side.The announcement was made on March 18 through the franchise’s official social media handle. “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 announced on X.SRH make a bold call ahead of IPL 2026 seasonThe decision surprised many fans since Kishan joined the team only last season. Even so, the franchise had shown strong faith in him earlier when they bought him for INR 11.25 crore.During his first season with SRH, Kishan delivered a mixed set of performances. He played 14 matches and scored 354 runs. In addition, he maintained an impressive strike rate of 152.58. His campaign included one century along with one half-century, which highlighted his ability as an aggressive batter.Therefore, the team management appeared confident in his leadership potential. Moreover, Kishan recently played an important role in India’s success in the T20 World Cup, which further strengthened his reputation.Also Read: IPL Founder Requests SRH's Kavya Maran For A Call If Needed Amidst Abrar Ahmed ControversySocial media reacts strongly after the announcementSoon after the announcement, social media platforms were filled with reactions from cricket fans. Several users shared memes, while others openly criticised the decision taken by the franchise.Many fans believed that Abhishek Sharma should have been named captain instead. As a result, posts demanding “justice for Abhishek Sharma” started circulating online. According to these supporters, his long association with the team made him a stronger candidate for the leadership role.errrikbarton @TeluguFFGamer4 Justice for abhishek sharma @SunRisers Mar 18, 2026, 5:11 PM Vikram @cric_x_movie @mufaddal_vohra Abhishek Sharma right now Mar 18, 2026, 5:01 PM ABHISHEK STAN🇦🇺 @BatmanWyne Abhishek Sharma robbed Luffy @iluffyzoro @SunRisers Abhishek traveled many years in srh how can you ignore him 🥲 and he is prince of srh prince who never became king sad for abhi 🧡 @_1617g @SunRisers Good decision, but my heart wanted Abhi to lead . Raja Muhammad Qasim @RajaMuhammadQa9 @mufaddal_vohra How come Abhishek Sharma becomes Vice Captain Abhishek Sharma’s long journey with SRHIt is important to note that Abhishek Sharma has been part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad since 2019. Over the years, he has become an important player for the team.So far, he has played 74 innings for SRH and scored 1,753 runs. In addition, he has maintained a striking rate of 162.16. Due to his consistent presence in the team, many supporters expected him to receive the captaincy role.Ishan Kishan’s recent performances strengthen his caseEven so, Ishan Kishan entered IPL 2026 with excellent form in domestic and international cricket. His performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT 2026) were particularly impressive.Notably, Kishan led Jharkhand to their first-ever SMAT title as captain. During the tournament, he scored more than 500 runs and finished as the leading run-getter. In fact, he made 517 runs in 10 innings, which included two centuries along with two half-centuries.Furthermore, he carried this form into the T20 World Cup 2026. In that tournament, the left-handed batter scored 317 runs in nine matches. As a result, he finished as India’s second-highest run-scorer in the competition.Therefore, his recent performances played a key role in SRH’s decision. The franchise clearly saw him as a strong short-term leader while Pat Cummins continues his recovery.Also Read: KKR Reveals Why It Abandoned The Hundred After Abrar Ahmed-SRH Drama
