Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins is more likely to miss the opening matches of the Indian Premier League 2026 season. The correct-arm fast bowler continues to be recovering from an injury that also sidelined him for a lot of the 2025–26 Ashes series and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
As per a report by The Times of India, the 2016 IPL champions may consider Abhishek Sharma as a short lived captain in Cummins’ absence. Although he has not captained within the IPL yet, the top-ranked T20I batter has previously led Punjab within the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
“No Cummins FOR SRH firstly of IPL2026. Big breaking waiting for Abhishek Sharma. Pat Cummins more likely to miss the primary few matches of IPL 2026. India’s T20 opener Abhishek Sharma set to take up the captaincy in Cummins’ absence,” the early report stated.
Sunrisers Hyderabad are set to start their Indian Premier League 2026 campaign against southern rivals Royal Challengers Bengaluru on the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, March 28. Meanwhile, a recent report by ESPNcricinfo stated that Pat Cummins continues to be awaiting medical clearance following his prolonged injury break.
The correct-arm pacer has played only one match for the reason that Caribbean tour concluded in July 2025.
Abhishek Sharma Guided Punjab To 4 Wins In Six SMAT 2025-26 Games Before SRH Captaincy Stint
Before linking up with India’s T20I squad for the house series against South Africa in December 2025, Abhishek Sharma captained Punjab within the 2025–26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Across six matches, the explosive opener guided his side to 4 victories, including dominant wins by 112 and 73 runs over Bengal and Services, respectively.
His first defeat within the tournament got here against Haryana in a Super Over. Under his leadership, Punjab finished atop Elite Group C to secure a spot within the Super League stage. Nevertheless, they were knocked out after back-to-back defeats to Jharkhand and Andhra, with Prabhsimran Singh leading the side in that phase.
Get the most recent cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.