SRH face captaincy dilemma, Ishan Kishan stakes leadership claim:Orange Army told to snub Pat Cummins, let Kishan continue

Ishan Kishan-led Sunrisers Hyderabad cruised to a 47-run victory over Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2026 to climb to third on the points table. With Pat Cummins sidelined through injury, Kishan has helped the team win three games in a row after a rocky start to the season. Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar feels that Ishan Kishan should continue to lead the Sunrisers, even when Cummins recovers. Cummins, it must be noted, has joined the team, and is in the last phase of his rehab. The Australian is the only overseas player who is the permanent captain of a franchise in IPL, with all other teams being led by Indian players. The 2023 ODI World Cup winning skipper has proved he can lead the team to success, helping the Sunrisers reach the final in 2024 where they ultimately fell short to KKR. Ishan Kishan brings consistency Speaking on Star Sports’ ‘Amul Cricket Live’, JioStar expert Sanjay Bangar heaped praise on Ishan Kishan’s captaincy. He said, “Ishan Kishan as a leader is tactically very good in terms of how he uses his bowlers. He understands which bowlers to use against which batters. It is a clear marker of how well he controls the game. He doesn’t look clustered, is not hurried, and is taking the right calls on the field. The way he used his spinners against DC was impressive.” Bangar, who has previously worked with RCB as well, added, “All in all, I believe that even if Pat Cummins comes back, Ishan Kishan should continue captaining SRH. More often than not, having an Indian Captain brings consistency. You cannot be sure about how fit a bowler of Pat Cummins’ caliber will stay throughout the rest of IPL 2026, considering the niggles he’s been dealing with. Ishan continuing with the leadership duties gives a lot of continuity to the players. That would be the way to go for Hyderabad.” Aditya Tare speaks on MS Dhoni’s return JioStar expert Aditya Tare feels that the fact that MS Dhoni kept the wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in a recent session is a ‘good sign’ for CSK. “I was watching the practice session and what surprised me the most is Mahi bhai keeping wickets. I have never seen him wear wicket-keeping gloves in a net session before. He usually just bats or bowls. He never keeps wickets in practice. But in the practice session, he had his helmet, pads, and keeping gloves on,” said Tare. He continued, “He is probably testing his match fitness after the calf injury. We have seen him bat a couple of times in practice earlier. But this is the first time I have seen him keep wickets this year. That is a good sign. CSK might have him back on the field very soon. And if he makes his comeback against Mumbai Indians, that would be really special.”