India’s T20 World Cup Hero Ishan Kishan Likely To Captain Sunrisers Hyderabad In Pat Cummins’ Absence. Not Abhishek Sharma

Indian cricket team wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan is the frontrunner to lead Sunrisers Hyderabad at the start of the upcoming IPL 2026 season with no clarity on Pat Cummins‘ fitness, according to Times Of India. The report claimed that SRH management have already held a discussion over the matter and Kishan emerged as the ‘most suitable candidate’ to lead the side in Cummins’ absence. Kishan had a brilliant outing in the T20 World Cup 2026 and he even slammed a half-century in the final against New Zealand. Cummins, who suffered a serious injury during the 2025-26 Ashes series, has not not played any cricket since then and the franchise reportedly has no clarity on when the Australia cricketer will be available to play.

Following his side’s successful T20 World Cup campaign, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who made a triumphant return to the team, expressed hope that his performances will serve as a motivation for young players in the country.

Ishan had a tournament to remember as he emerged as India’s second-highest run-getter, with a half-century in the final and two ‘Player of the Match’ awards against Namibia and arch-rivals Pakistan being the highlights of his campaign.

Before the World Cup, Ishan made a return to the Indian set-up for the first time since 2023 after a scintillating Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), where he led Jharkhand to their maiden title as a captain, scoring 517 runs in 10 innings, with two centuries and two fifties.

Speaking to the media, Ishan said, “Our team won, obviously, it is a very good thing, not only for us, but for the whole nation. We hope to continue playing cricket like this and keep winning.”

Ishan hopes to have inspired young talent through his performances and an inspiring comeback to Team India following a setback, which saw his name get omitted from the central contract list back in 2024 due to his alleged lack of commitment to domestic cricket. With centuries scored across all formats in domestic cricket, Ishan underwent a hard domestic cricket grind and it has no doubt paid off handsomely.

“It feels great because I believe the better I perform, the more motivation it will be for the young kids here who want to grow. I always try to ensure as many players as possible emerge from every corner. Now that we’ve played the World Cup, it shows that with hard work, you can succeed from anywhere,” he added.

(With ANI inputs)