Ishan Kishan to Make IPL Captaincy Debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad

Ishan Kishan is poised to make his captaincy debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. This milestone will make him the youngest Indian to lead SRH, taking over from Pat Cummins, who is recovering from injury. Kishan's leadership experience includes guiding Jharkhand to a title win in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and he is expected to captain the team for at least seven matches. With high expectations from the franchise, Kishan aims to continue his form and lead SRH to success this season.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 28, 2026, 06:23 IST

Ishan Kishan Takes the Helm for SRH

Ishan Kishan is set to make his debut as captain for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the opening match of the IPL 2026 season against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He will lead the team in the absence of Pat Cummins, who is sidelined due to a back injury and is expected to return only in the latter half of the season. Kishan is anticipated to captain the team for at least seven matches, with Abhishek Sharma serving as vice-captain during this period. Once Cummins is back, Kishan will revert to the vice-captain role.

Pat Cummins has had a challenging time, having played only one match in the 2025-26 Ashes series and missing the entire 2026 T20 World Cup due to his injury. He has not participated in any competitive cricket this year.

Ishan Kishan Set to Make History

When Kishan leads SRH against RCB, he will make history as the youngest Indian to captain the franchise in IPL history. The overall record is held by Kane Williamson, who was 27 years and 244 days old during his captaincy debut for SRH in 2018. Williamson took over the captaincy in the absence of David Warner, who was banned that season. He led SRH to the finals, where they were defeated by Chennai Super Kings. Warner returned in 2019 and continued to play under Williamson, who was reinstated as captain before the 2020 season.

Other Indian players who have captained SRH include Shikhar Dhawan, Manish Pandey, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. At 27 years and 253 days old, Kishan joined SRH during the IPL 2025 mega-auction for ₹11.25 crore, and despite a less-than-stellar performance last season, the franchise has shown strong confidence in him.

Kishan's leadership skills were evident when he guided Jharkhand to victory in the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which earned him a spot on the 2026 T20 World Cup team. Following their match against RCB, SRH will head to Kolkata to face the Kolkata Knight Riders, with their first home game scheduled against Lucknow Super Giants on April 5.