Mumbai, March 17: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) regular captain Pat Cummins is currently recovering from a back injury. In his absence, Indian left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma and wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan are leading the race to captain the team in the initial matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
Cummins has not played competitive cricket since the third Ashes Test in Adelaide in December 2025. Following the West Indies tour, he has been sidelined due to a lumbar bone stress injury in his lower back.
This injury has also forced him to miss the remaining Ashes matches and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. According to sources, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan are the frontrunners to lead the team in Cummins’ absence.
Ishan Kishan has been part of Sunrisers Hyderabad since IPL 2025. Recently, he captained Jharkhand to victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy during the domestic season, making him a strong candidate to lead the team while Cummins is out.
On the other hand, Abhishek joined Sunrisers Hyderabad before IPL 2019 and has since become a key player. He has formed an aggressive opening partnership with Australia’s Travis Head. While Ishan, in fantastic form, scored three half-centuries during India’s T20 World Cup victory, Abhishek also made a stunning fifty off just 18 balls in the final match, which India won by 96 runs.
A source familiar with the situation stated, “Currently, Pat Cummins is recovering from his injury, but he primarily needs to pass his fitness test before rejoining the team. He is ready to play, but he must clear the fitness test first. As Cummins will take more time to recover, the team management is still deciding whether Ishan or Abhishek will lead Sunrisers Hyderabad.”
The source added, “If everything goes well, whoever becomes the interim captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad will attend the IPL 2026 captains and managers meeting on March 25 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. There will also be a traditional photoshoot with all ten captains alongside the tournament trophy.”
If Abhishek is appointed as captain, it will be his first time leading an IPL team, a similar situation for Ishan Kishan.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, who won the IPL 2016 title, will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign against the reigning champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on March 28 at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
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