Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins is yet to feature in the ongoing IPL 2026. He is still recovering from a lumber stress injury, but as the Australia international confirmed, he is set to be ready for Hyderabadโs upcoming clash against Rajasthan Royals on April 25.ย
In his absence, Ishan Kishan led the side and has done a commendable job as Hyderabad are currently third on the points table. He has led by example and based on that, former cricketer Sanjay Banger opined that even if Cummins comes back, Kishan should continue with the captaincy.
Elaborating on it, Banger noted that the keeper-batter has been excellent in understanding the bowlers and how to use them in the middle. He also highlighted Kishanโs ability to control the game and added that he is not sure if Cummins can participate in the rest of the season, given his injury concerns.ย
โIshan 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 doesnโt look clustered, is not hurried, and is taking the right calls on the field. The way he used his spinners against DC was impressive,โ Bangar said on JioStarโs Match Centre Live.
โAll 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 Cumminsโ calibre will stay throughout the rest of TATA IPL 2026, considering the niggles heโs 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,โ he added.
Kishan shares his relationship with bowlers
After the game, when Kishan was asked about the relationship with the bowlers, he termed it โsimple and positiveโ. He spoke of giving confidence to uncapped Indian cricketers such as Sakib Hussain, explaining it to him the hardships of a bowler in T20 cricket.
โMy relationship with the bowlers is about keeping things simple and positive. With someone like Sakib Hussain, thereโs a natural understanding, and Iโve told him to stay relaxed. This is T20 cricket, everyone gets hit. What matters is how you come back. Even if an over doesnโt go well, itโs important to reset, stay calm, and focus on the next opportunity. If you can pull things back later in the game, thatโs what makes the difference. Thereโs no point putting extra pressure on yourself, just trust your plans and execute them,โ Kishan explained.ย
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