Pat Cummins, the captain of Australia's white-ball cricket team, will be sidelined for the beginning of the IPL 2026 season due to a back injury. In his absence, Ishan Kishan, the talented wicketkeeper-batter from India, has been appointed as the stand-in captain for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Announcement from Sunrisers Hyderabad
The Hyderabad franchise shared the news on X, indicating that Cummins will be out for 'a few games' as he recuperates from an injury sustained prior to the 2025-26 Ashes series. Cummins participated in one match of the Ashes but had to withdraw from the remaining games due to this injury, which also kept him from competing in the T20 World Cup 2026. SRH confirmed that Ishan Kishan will lead the team during Cummins' recovery, with Abhishek Sharma serving as vice-captain. The announcement read: '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.'
Kishan's Impressive Form
Ishan Kishan has been in remarkable form, having led Jharkhand to their inaugural Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy victory in 2025, where he was the tournament's top scorer with 517 runs. His outstanding performances earned him a spot back in India's T20 World Cup squad, where he played a vital role in defending the title. During the 2026 T20 World Cup, Kishan scored 317 runs, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer for the team.
SRH's Investment in Kishan
Before the IPL 2025 season, SRH acquired Ishan Kishan for Rs 14.5 crore. He made an immediate impact by scoring a century off just 45 balls in his debut match against Rajasthan Royals. However, he concluded the season with a total of 354 runs across 13 innings, averaging 35.40.
Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad for IPL 2026
The SRH squad for the IPL 2026 season includes: Salil Arora, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Ravichandran Smaran, Aniket Verma, Abhishek Sharma, Brydon Carse, Harsh Dubey, Jack Edwards, Liam Livingstone, Kamindu Mendis, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Mavi, Pat Cummins, Amit Kumar, Krains Fuletra, Praful Hinge, Eshan Malinga, Harshal Patel, Sakib Hussain, Shivang Kumar, Onkar Tarmale, Jaydev Unadkat, and Zeeshan Ansari.
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