Ishan Kishan is set to lead Sunrisers Hyderabad as the interim captain in the IPL 2026, after the regular captain Pat Cummins was injured. SRH’s franchise management officially confirmed the decision just before IPL 2026.
The league starts with the first match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Saturday, March 28. The franchise management has revealed that Cummins is in rehab for a lumbar bone stress injury in his lower back.
Pat Cummins Injury Details and Recovery Timeline
Pat Cummins sustained a major impact from high-intensity bowling over a long period of time. The problems in his lower back surfaced following Australia’s tour of the West Indies in July 2025.
The Australian cricketer is in rehab for a lumbar bone stress injury in his lower back as of March 19, 2026. The bowler is expected to report to the Sunrisers Hyderabad camp in India to continue his rehab on March 23, 2026.
Cummins will miss the first three games of the season. He will need a final fitness clearance from Cricket Australia before he can officially return to the SRH playing XI.
Earlier, the 32-year-old bowler missed the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, and was also part of 2025-2026 Ashes series for team Australia. Despite the setback, he was retained by SRH for ₹18 Crore for the IPL 2026 season.
Why Ishan Kishan Was Chosen as Interim Captain
The management picked Ishan Kishan to lead the team for three main reasons: experience, batting style, and his current form. Kishan has played for teams like the Mumbai Indians and now the SRH since his first game in the IPL.
He had his best IPL season in 2023, when he hit 454 runs in 16 games. His strike rate has slowly gone up from 120 to more than 140 over the past five years. He is a top-order batter who makes runs quickly instead of aiming for long innings.
More importantly, the 27-year-old Indian batter had a big impact on India’s performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. He scored 317 runs in 9 games, which was a big part of their run to the title.
He was one of the most aggressive batters in the tournament, with an average of 35.22 and a strike rate of over 190. He made 77 runs off 40 balls, which was his best score, and he made three half-centuries during the tournament.
Ishan Kishan IPL Career Stats:
| Season | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | Highest Score |
| 2025 | 14 | 420 | 32.30 | 142.50 | 3 | 78 |
| 2024 | 14 | 320 | 22.85 | 148.15 | 2 | 69 |
| 2023 | 16 | 454 | 30.26 | 142.77 | 3 | 75 |
| 2022 | 14 | 418 | 32.15 | 120.11 | 3 | 81 |
| 2021 | 10 | 241 | 26.77 | 133.14 | 2 | 84 |
The wicketkeeper-batsman has played over 100 matches in the IPL. He has made more than 2800 runs, with an average of 29 and an impressive strike rate of 135+. He is a consistent performer in the middle and top order. SRH has always been about explosive starts, and his ability to attack early aligns well with their strategy.
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How SRH Performed with Pat Cummins as Captain
SRH Performance Stats 2025:
| Matches Played | 14 |
| Wins | 6 |
| Losses | 7 |
| Points | 13 |
| Final Position | 6th |
| Net Run Rate | -0.241 |
Sunrisers Hyderabad had some explosive batting performances in the IPL 2025. However, they didn’t make the playoffs. The team started the season strong, but they fell to the bottom half of the table before making a late comeback. At the end of the season, they finished in 6th place with 6 wins, 7 losses, and 1 No Result.
SRH recorded multiple scores of 250 or more, which gave them four of the top five highest team totals in the history of IPL. They made 286 runs against the Rajasthan Royals on March 23 2025. Soon after, they scored 278 runs against the Kolkata Knight Riders on May 25 2025.
READ MORE: Who Is Pat Cummins’ Wife? Name, Age & Family Details
Pat Cummins IPL 2025 Season Summary:
| Matches | 15 |
| Wickets | 16 |
| Bowling Best | 3/19 (vs. Delhi Capitals) |
| Bowling Average | 28.13 |
| Economy Rate | 9.06 |
| Runs Scored | 97 |
| Batting Strike Rate | 167.24 |
| Highest Score | 22* |
Pat Cummins captained SRH during the IPL 2025 season, taking a total of 16 wickets in 14 matches with a bowling economy of 9.06. Even though the team came sixth and missed the playoffs, the Australian bowler became the first captain to take three wickets in the powerplays against the Delhi Capitals.
What’s Next
The star wicketkeeper-batter of SRH, Ishan Kishan, will lead the franchise as interim captain for the opening matches of IPL 2026. SRH will face the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28, Kolkata Knight Riders on April 2, and Lucknow Super Giants on April 5. Cummins will, then, join the starting XI only if Cricket Australia deems him fit to play.
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