The Indian Premier League 2026 is underway, with teams nearing the midway stage of their group campaign. Assessments around leadership are now taking centre stage as the race for qualification intensifies. Several rotations are also taking place across teams, with injured players being replaced and others regaining fitness after setbacks prior to the start of the season.
Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins is back in town and in contention for the clash against Rajasthan Royals on April 25. His return comes after a long layoff due to a lumbar stress injury, which ruled him out of most of the 2025/26 Ashes series and also Australia’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. While SRH’s proven leader is set to return, it raises questions about the winning formula that has taken shape under stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, known for his aggressive approach and leadership during his playing days, weighed in on the captaincy debate at SRH. He backed Kishan to continue leading the side even if Cummins returns, following SRH’s thumping 47-run win against a well-balanced Delhi Capitals at home.
“Ishan Kishan should continue as Sunrisers Hyderabad captain even if Pat Cummins returns. It is a debatable call, but if the team has backed a young leader, they should stick with him. Cummins helped Hyderabad reach the final in 2024, no doubt. But the side is doing well under Kishan’s leadership. The bowlers and other players have built good coordination with him. Keeping Ishan as captain will benefit Sunrisers Hyderabad,” Harbhajan said while speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Champions Waali Commentary’.
Harbhajan’s remarks underline the importance of sticking to a winning combination, even if it means backing a young captain over a proven one. Kishan has made an impressive start to his captaincy stint, with SRH currently sitting third on the table after seven matches. Despite losing the toss in all seven games and being asked to bat first each time, the Kishan-led side has shown remarkable composure, successfully defending totals on four occasions.
This comes at a time when modern T20 cricket is largely batter-dominated, and defending totals on flat pitches demands precise planning and adaptability. Their latest win against Delhi at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium showcased this perfectly, with Abhishek Sharma powering SRH to a commanding total of 242. The bowling unit, led by Eshan Malinga, then delivered a statement performance as Delhi fell short by 47 runs with just one wicket in hand.
Cummins, a proven leader on the international stage, brought stability and direction to SRH after their last-place finish in IPL 2023, guiding them to a runners-up position in 2024. While his credentials are unquestionable, especially compared to the relatively inexperienced Kishan, the latter’s current success with a young squad presents a strong case for continuity.
As Harbhajan suggests, why alter a winning formula when the season has entered a crucial phase and the team has already found its rhythm under Kishan?
