Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Mar 18: Ishan Kishan will captain Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the opening matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, the franchise announced on Wednesday.

The decision comes as regular skipper Pat Cummins continues to recover from a lumbar bone stress injury in his lower back. Cummins has not played competitive cricket since the third Test of the The Ashes in Adelaide in December 2025. The injury also forced him to miss the remaining Ashes matches and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

SRH confirmed on social media that until Cummins regains full fitness, Kishan will serve as captain, with Abhishek Sharma acting as vice-captain.

Kishan joined the SRH camp during the 2025 season and recently led Jharkhand cricket team to victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. However, this will mark his first time captaining a team in the IPL.

Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma, who has been with SRH since IPL 2019, has been a key player for the side, forming an aggressive opening partnership with Australia’s Travis Head.

The 2016 champions will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28.