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IPL 2026: Ishan Kishan named stand-in SRH captain as Pat Cummins gets ruled out for a few games
In a major shake-up ahead of IPL 2026, SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) appointed Ishan Kishan as stand-in captain while Pat Cummins recovers from injury. Abhishek Sharma will be his deputy for those games.
Koushik Biswas
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Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma (Image Credit: SRH)
In a significant captaincy shake-up just days before the IPL 2026 opener, SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) have officially named Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan as their stand-in captain. The decision comes as regular skipper Pat Cummins continues his rehabilitation from an injury that also saw him sidelined during the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026.
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Ishan to lead, Abhishek chosen as his deputy
In a dual upgrade for the franchise’s young core, No.1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma has been appointed vice-captain of the squad.
The franchise confirmed the news on Wednesday afternoon, signalling a shift toward a more bold, youth-led leadership ideology for the opening few games of the tournament.
"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," an official SRH statement read.
Read also: Every record India broke by winning the T20 World Cup 2026.
The rise of "captain Ishan"
Ishan’s promotion to the captaincy isn't just based on his recent international form. The southpaw has been on a "Midas touch" run since late 2025, where he led Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title.
During SMAT 2025, he emerged as the tournament's highest run-getter, marauding 517 runs in just 10 innings.
This domestic performance enabled his return to the national side after a three-year halt, where he famously replaced Shubman Gill to secure his spot in the T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
SRH squad for IPL 2026
Batters
Ishan Kishan, Aniket Verma, Smaran Ravichandran, Salil Arora, Heinrich Klaasen, and Travis Head.
All-Rounders
Harshal Patel, Kamindu Mendis, Harsh Dubey, Brydon Carse, Shivang Kumar, Krains Fuletra, Liam Livingstone, Jack Edwards, Abhishek Sharma, and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Bowlers
Pat Cummins, Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Onkar Tarmale, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, and Shivam Mavi.
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