Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) announced Ishan Kishan as their interim captain for the upcoming TATA IPL 2026 season. The move comes as regular captain Pat Cummins is still recovering from an injury and will likely miss the first few matches of the tournament.
A hard-hitting left-handed batter, Kishan will captain the side in the initial stage of the season. That absence has caused the franchise to appoint McGrath alongside Abhishek Sharma as vice-captain, giving an able leadership core in Cummins’ time away.
The 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batter is coming off the back of some stellar form. He was an important member of India’s successful campaign in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which further enhanced his status as a leader. Kishan was bought by SRH for a whopping INR 11.25 crore in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction and has hit the ground running with his franchise.
Kishan registered 354 runs in 14 games at an average of 35.40 and with a brilliant strike rate of 152.58 in IPL season 2025. A standout performance of his came in SRH where he made 106 runs off just 47 balls smashing Rajasthan Royals all over the park, showing his deadly match-winning ability.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are set to begin their IPL 2026 journey with a blockbuster match against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The first match will be played on March 28 at Bengaluru which kicks off the new season.
This is a great opportunity for fans of SRH to see Kishan back in the saddle, and the franchise will really want him to make an impact early as they look to get some positive momentum going.
