Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan in Race to Lead SRH as Cummins Set to Miss IPL 2026 Opener

Sunrisers Hyderabad are set to name an interim captain for the start of Indian Premier League 2026, with Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan emerging as leading contenders in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins.

Cummins is still recovering from a back injury and must clear fitness tests before rejoining the squad. SRH will open their campaign against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 28.

Kishan brings leadership experience after guiding Jharkhand to a domestic title, while Abhishek has been a long-time SRH mainstay and a key part of their explosive top order.

The franchise management is expected to take a final call soon, with the interim captain likely to attend the pre-season captains’ meet in Mumbai.