Sunrisers Hyderabad have made a bold call ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 opener, handing the captaincy to Ishan Kishan for their first clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 28. The 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batter steps into a leadership role at a crucial moment, reflecting the franchise’s trust in his recent form and temperament.
Kishan’s rise has been impressive over the past year. After leading Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in 2025, he carried that momentum onto the international stage, finishing as one of India’s leading run-scorers in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. With that kind of form behind him, SRH have opted to back Ishan Kishan over Abhishek Sharma for the leadership duties in the opening game.
On the eve of his captaincy debut, Ishan Kishan made some bold predictions, including backing SRH to reach the IPL 2026 final. Interestingly, he tipped Mumbai Indians as their potential opponents in the summit clash — a franchise he knows well, having been part of their title-winning squad in 2020 under Rohit Sharma.
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Mumbai Indians remain one of the most successful teams in IPL history, with five titles to their name. Meanwhile, SRH have had their own share of success, winning the title in 2016 under David Warner and finishing runners-up in 2018 and 2024. With a refreshed squad and new leadership dynamics, Hyderabad will be aiming to go one step further this time.
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Kishan also made an interesting call for the Purple Cap, backing Jaydev Unadkat to emerge as the leading wicket-taker this season. With Pat Cummins unavailable, Unadkat is expected to spearhead SRH’s pace attack. The experienced left-armer has over 100 IPL wickets and previously enjoyed a standout season in 2017, where he finished among the top wicket-takers.
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Beyond predictions, Kishan has shown confidence in his own form as well. After smashing an unbeaten century in his first outing for SRH last season, he believes he can once again make a big impact — even hinting at scoring the first hundred of IPL 2026.
With fresh leadership, bold predictions, and plenty of firepower, SRH’s campaign begins with renewed energy — and all eyes will be on Ishan Kishan to deliver both as captain and match-winner.
