Ishan Kishan's Captaincy Under Scrutiny as SRH Eyes Pat Cummins' Return

IPL 2026 Match Recap

Ishan Kishan: In the IPL 2026, the 31st match took place last night between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Delhi Capitals (DC). After winning the toss, DC opted to bowl first. SRH, led by Abhishek Sharma's century, scored 242 runs. In response, DC managed only 195 runs, resulting in a 47-run defeat for them.

Captaincy Changes on the Horizon

Under Ishan Kishan's leadership, SRH has played 7 matches, securing 4 victories and facing 3 losses. Despite this, the team is contemplating a change in captaincy.

For IPL 2026, Kavya Maran is considering reinstating Pat Cummins as captain, who previously led the team last season. During that time, Cummins' team won only 6 out of 14 matches, losing 7, with one match abandoned due to rain.

Current Standings and Future Prospects

Currently, SRH is positioned 6th with 13 points. This season, due to Cummins' injury, Ishan Kishan was appointed as captain for the initial matches. So far, under his captaincy, SRH has won 4 out of 7 matches, placing them 3rd with 8 points. If they win 4 of their remaining 7 matches, their chances of making it to the playoffs will significantly improve.

Pat Cummins' Anticipated Return

Regular captain Pat Cummins has been sidelined from the early matches of IPL 2026 due to injury, which also prevented him from participating in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

Cummins is expected to return for the match against Rajasthan Royals on April 25. It remains to be seen how the SRH management will handle the captaincy situation upon his return.