Pat Cummins Praises Ishan Kishan’s Captaincy in IPL 2026
Sunrisers Hyderabad Secure Playoff Berth as Captaincy Transition Pays Off
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have officially booked their place in the IPL 2026 playoffs following a crucial victory over the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Chennai. While the franchise still has its sights set on securing a top-two finish to gain a double chance at reaching the final, the main talking point surrounding their campaign has been the remarkably smooth transition of leadership between regular skipper Pat Cummins and stand-in captain Ishan Kishan.
In a recent interview, Australian star Pat Cummins opened up about how the squad navigated this unique split-captaincy dynamic and praised the team owners for their support during a challenging period of rehabilitation and transition.
Pat Cummins’ Long Road to Recovery
Cummins’ journey to IPL 2026 has been defined by resilience. The fast bowler suffered a severe lower back lumbar stress injury in July last year. The injury sidelined him for the vast majority of the remaining months, limiting him to just a single competitive match for the rest of 2025.
Although Cummins managed to play in the third Ashes Test against England in December last year, he had to sit out the other four Test matches as well as all subsequent limited-overs fixtures. Crucially, the lingering rehabilitation process also forced him to miss the T20 World Cup held in India and Sri Lanka earlier this year. Consequently, when he joined the SRH camp for IPL 2026, he was scheduled to participate only in the second half of the tournament. Ultimately, Cummins has played just six of SRH’s 13 matches so far this season, leaving the captaincy duties in the highly capable hands of Ishan Kishan for the first half.
Why Ishan Kishan Was Trusted with the Reins
Ishan Kishan’s appointment as the stand-in captain was no random choice. The dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman had enjoyed a sensational domestic run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he led Jharkhand to the title while finishing as the tournament’s highest run-scorer. This brilliant performance not only earned him a national comeback for the T20 World Cup but also positioned him as the ideal candidate to lead SRH in Cummins’ absence.
Speaking on the decision during an event in New Delhi, Cummins revealed that he fully backed Kishan for the role. “We had a few good options. He (Kishan) has had a great domestic season as captain. I got asked a question, and I said ‘Oh, Ishan would be great, the boys love him’. He was awesome. I let him do his thing. I didn’t get too involved, but I was there if he needed me. He knows how to captain well, so I stayed out of his way,” Cummins explained.
Supportive Owners and an Aggressive Blueprint
SRH’s successful campaign in IPL 2026 stands in stark contrast to their disappointing run in the previous season, where they failed to qualify for the playoffs. Cummins was quick to credit the franchise owners for keeping the faith and maintaining a positive environment inside the dressing room.
“The owners have been great,” Cummins said. “The first half of last year, I don’t think we played anywhere near our potential. We won our last three or four games, which showed that we were onto something with the style we wanted to play. Us at our best are right up there with any other team.”
He added that the addition of fresh faces ahead of the 2026 season helped reinforce this aggressive mindset. “We came into this season knowing that last season was as bad as we could play. A couple of new players, too, have bought into the aggressive style that brought us success.”
By the Numbers: The Impact of Split Captaincy
The statistical breakdown of SRH’s IPL 2026 campaign highlights how effectively the split-captaincy model worked, despite a slightly bumpy start. Under Ishan Kishan’s leadership, the team faced three defeats in their opening four matches. However, Kishan engineered a spectacular turnaround, guiding the team to three consecutive victories to balance the ledger. Overall, SRH registered four wins out of seven games under Kishan’s captaincy.
When Pat Cummins returned to action, he immediately extended that winning streak by two more matches. Since then, the team has followed an alternating pattern of wins and losses. Under Cummins’ on-field leadership, SRH have claimed four victories from six games. Combined, the dual-leadership strategy has produced eight wins from 13 matches, securing a coveted spot in the top four.
Looking Ahead to the Playoffs
With a playoff spot officially locked in, the focus for Cummins, Kishan, and the rest of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad now shifts to their final league stage matches. Securing a top-two finish remains the immediate priority, giving them two opportunities to reach the grand finale. With Cummins back at the helm and Kishan in sparkling form, SRH look like a formidable unit ready to challenge for the ultimate prize in IPL 2026.
