Ishan Kishan Steps Down as SRH Captain for IPL Match Against RR

In a significant shift, Ishan Kishan will not captain Sunrisers Hyderabad in their upcoming IPL match against Rajasthan Royals, as Pat Cummins returns from injury. Kishan had a commendable start to his captaincy, leading the team to four wins in seven matches. This article explores the reasons behind the captaincy change, the lineup adjustments for both teams, and the context of their previous encounters this season. Discover how these changes may impact the match dynamics.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 25, 2026, 19:44 IST

Ishan Kishan's Captaincy Transition

Ishan Kishan will not be captaining Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their eighth match of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Saturday, April 25, at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Kishan had taken on the captaincy role for the first time in his IPL career at the beginning of the 2026 season, leading the team to four victories in seven matches, despite losing the toss in each game and managing a relatively inexperienced bowling lineup.

Reasons Behind Ishan Kishan's Captaincy Change

However, Kishan has stepped down from the captaincy as Pat Cummins has returned to the squad after a lengthy injury absence. The Australian ODI and Test captain was cleared to play by Cricket Australia (CA) and has reclaimed the captaincy from Kishan. Cummins has been the permanent captain of SRH since the 2024 season, and Kishan only led the team due to Cummins' prior unavailability. Before the season commenced, there was speculation about whether Kishan or Abhishek Sharma would take the lead role, but the franchise opted for Kishan, while Abhishek was appointed as vice-captain despite his long tenure with the team since 2018. Cummins boasts a commendable record as SRH's captain, achieving 15 wins and 14 losses in 30 matches, and he guided the team to their third final in history during his inaugural season in charge in 2024.

Changes in the SRH Lineup

In the latest match, Cummins replaced Sri Lankan fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka in the playing XI. Additionally, Praful Hinge returned to the lineup after missing the previous match against Delhi Capitals, while Harsh Dubey was dropped to accommodate an extra pacer. Conversely, the Royals made a single change, bringing Tushar Deshpande into their squad. It is anticipated that Ravi Bishnoi will enter as an impact player, taking the place of Shubham Dubey in the lineup. This match marks the second encounter of the season between these two teams, with SRH previously defeating RR and ending their four-match winning streak by a margin of 57 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Hinge and Sakib Hussain made their IPL debuts in that match, each taking four wickets.

Playing XIs for SRH vs RR

RR playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma. RR Impact Sub: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Bishnoi, Ravi Singh, Sandeep Sharma, Shubham Dubey.

SRH Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora(w), Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins(c), Shivang Kumar, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge, Eshan Malinga. SRH Impact Sub: Smaran Ravichandran, Liam Livingstone, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Travis Head.