IPL 2026: Before Ishan Kishan, these 10 players have served as SRH captains: The countdown for the 2026 Indian Premier League has begun. The 19th season of the IPL is scheduled to commence on March 28. Consequently, all teams are fully prepared and have immersed themselves completely in their tournament preparations. In this context, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has made a major announcement.
Ishan Kishan Named New Captain-
In fact, the team's regular captain, Pat Cummins, will miss the opening matches of IPL 2026 due to an injury. Consequently, the team has entrusted the responsibility of captaincy to Ishan Kishan. Meanwhile, the formidable opening batsman Abhishek Sharma has been appointed as the vice-captain. Sunrisers Hyderabad shared this information on X. In a social media post, the team stated: "Pat Cummins is recovering from an injury and will therefore miss a few matches. Until he is fully fit, Ishan Kishan will take charge of the team as captain, with Abhishek Sharma serving as the vice-captain."
Ishan Kishan joined SRH last year. SRH acquired him during the IPL 2025 auction for a sum of ₹11.40 crore. After spending just one season with the team, Ishan has been handed the role of captain. Ishan will be SRH's 11th captain. Furthermore, he is the fourth Indian player to assume the responsibility of leading SRH. Prior to him, 10 legendary players—including Kumar Sangakkara, Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner, and Kane Williamson—have served as captains for this franchise.
The Inaugural Season Played in IPL 2013—
The Sunrisers Hyderabad team made its debut in the IPL in 2013. Since then, the team has seen 11 different captains. In the inaugural season, Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara and Cameron White shouldered the responsibility of captaincy. Shikhar Dhawan also served as the team's captain between 2013 and 2014, leading the side in 16 matches. In IPL 2014, Darren Sammy also took charge of the captaincy for four matches.
The team found its most successful captain in IPL 2015. Australian batting legend David Warner took over the captaincy and, in the very next season, created history by leading the team to the championship title. Warner captained the team in 67 matches over a span of nearly seven years, from 2015 to 2021. Kane Williamson also served as captain in 42 matches between 2018 and 2022.
During this period, Bhuvneshwar Kumar also led the team in a few matches; 'Bhuvy' served as captain up until 2023. Manish Pandey also holds the distinction of having captained SRH, having led the team in one match during IPL 2021. In IPL 2023, the responsibility of captaincy was entrusted to Aiden Markram, and subsequently, for IPL 2024, the team's command was handed over to Pat Cummins. Now, in IPL 2026, Ishan will be seen leading the team in a few matches.
