Summary of this article
Pat Cummins to miss SRH's first few IPL 2026 games due to a back injury
Ishan Kishan named stand-in skipper, Abhishek Sharma his deputy
Kishan had captained Jharkhand to maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in December 2025
SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) confirmed on Wednesday (March 18, 2026) that Ishan Kishan will lead the team in Pat Cummins' absence for their first few games in Indian Premier League's 19th edition. Cummins is recovering from a back injury.
Kishan, who led Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 title in December 2025, will have fellow India southpaw Abhishek Sharma as his deputy.
SRH, however, did not specify the number of matches Cummins is set to miss. Cummins has been sidelined with a stress injury on his lower back, which kept him away for a major part of the last Ashes series Down Under as well as the T20 World Cup.
Kishan's appointment as the IPL 2016 winners' stand-in captain comes after a successful run across formats. The wicketkeeper-batter played a crucial role in India's victorious campaign in the T20 World Cup, ending up as the fourth-highest run-scorer in the tournament with 317 runs in nine games at a strike rate of 199.37. He averaged 80.25 and hit three fifties.
His exploits with the bat also saw Kishan jumping to the No.2 spot in the ICC rankings for T20I batters, a list which is led by Abhishek.
When is IPL 2026?
The Indian Premier League 2026 season will commence from March 28, Saturday.
How many teams are there in IPL 2026?
Ten teams will participate in IPL 2026.
Who are the defending champions of IPL?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the defending IPL champions.
Who are the most successful teams of IPL?
Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings are the most successful teams of IPL with five titles each.
