Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins has joined the squad and is all set to return after missing the initial games as he failed to reach peak fitness while recovering from a back injury. In the absence of Cummins, Ishan Kishan was named the captain of SRH, and he did reasonably well, winning four and losing three games. Once Cummins is back, he should take over the leadership duties, but there are also calls for SRH to continue with Ishan.
Former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar praised Kishan for his tactical awareness and said that Ishan Kishan should continue as captain even when Pat Cummins returns.
Ishan Kishan, as a leader, is tactically very good in terms of how he uses his bowlers. He understands which bowlers to use against which batters,” Bangar said while speaking on Star Sports.
Bangar praised Kishan for his impressive leadership against DC and said that having an Indian captain will bring stability. He said SRH are not sure how fit Pat Cummins will stay during the tournament, and having Ishan as captain will give continuity to players.
“The way he used his spinners against DC was impressive. All in all, I believe that even if Pat Cummins comes back, Ishan Kishan should continue captaining SRH. More often than not, having an Indian captain brings consistency. You cannot be sure about how fit a bowler of Pat Cummins’ caliber will stay throughout the rest of the IPL 2026, considering the niggles he’s been dealing with. Ishan continuing with the leadership duties gives a lot of continuity. That would be the way to go for Hyderabad.”
Topsy Turvy Ride
SRH didn’t start well in IPL 2026, but seems to have found rhythm, winning the last three games. The bowling looked bleak in earlier games, but Eshan Malinga and Sakib Hussain have found form and are breathing fire. Pat Cummins’ return would further bolster the bowling and, clubbed with the fearful batting, they would become an ever more dangerous team.
