News Summary
Prepared by AI with editorial review.
- Ishan Kishan will captain Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening matches of the Indian Premier League 2026.
- Pat Cummins is expected to miss the initial fixtures due to an unresolved back injury, likely sidelining him until March 23.
- Abhishek Sharma will serve as vice-captain, with Cummins expected to resume captaincy once fit.
April 17, Kathmandu – Ishan Kishan will lead Sunrisers Hyderabad as captain for the early matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The regular captain, Pat Cummins, has not yet fully recovered from a back injury and is likely to miss the initial games.
During this period, Abhishek Sharma will act as vice-captain. According to team sources, this arrangement is temporary, and Cummins will take over the captaincy again once his health improves.
Cummins is expected to return to the team on March 23. He will undergo treatment in India, which means he is likely to miss at least the first three matches of the season.
Sunrisers Hyderabad will play their opening game on March 28 against the defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru. This will be followed by an away match against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 2, and then a home match against Lucknow Super Giants on April 5.
The 27-year-old Kishan has appeared in 119 IPL matches, while Abhishek has participated in 77 matches so far.
The team management has concluded that Ishan Kishan is the best-suited candidate to captain the side in Cummins’ absence.
