Ishan Kishan likely to captain Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026 amid uncertainty over Pat Cummins’ availability: Report

Ishan Kishan joined SRH ahead of the 2025 IPL season for INR 11.25 crore and scored 354 runs in 14 matches

Published on: Mar 16, 2026, 22:09:34 IST

Written by Aratrick Mondal

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With uncertainty surrounding the availability of Pat Cummins for the upcoming Indian Premier League 2026 season, Sunrisers Hyderabad have reportedly identified Ishan Kishan as the frontrunner to lead the side.

Ishan Kishan had joined SRH in 2025 (Surjeet Yadav)

According to a report in The Times of India, the franchise management has already discussed the matter internally and sees Kishan as the most capable option to captain the team if Cummins is unavailable.

The Australian fast bowler has been dealing with a lumbar stress back injury since July 2025 and has managed just one appearance — during the home The Ashes series last December — in the past eight months. The injury also forced him to miss Australia’s campaign in the T20 World Cup earlier this year.

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Kishan joined SRH ahead of the 2025 IPL season for INR 11.25 crore and scored 354 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 152.58, including a century and a fifty.

Overall, the India star is a veteran of 119 IPL matches across three franchises. He has scored 2,998 runs in 112 innings at a strike rate of 137.64, with one century and 17 half-centuries.

Kishan will head into the IPL 2026 campaign riding high on his recent exploits in T20Is for India. Earlier this year, he returned to the national side after selectors moved away from their Shubman Gill plan for the World Cup, bringing Kishan in as a reserve wicketkeeper.

The left-hander made an immediate impact at No. 3, including a century in the home series against New Zealand, which helped him secure a place in the starting XI for the World Cup.

Kishan eventually finished as India’s second-highest run-getter in the victorious campaign, scoring 317 runs in nine innings at an average of 35.22 and a strike rate of 193. He struck three half-centuries during the tournament, including one in the final.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

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