Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins is likely to miss the opening matches of the Indian Premier League 2026 season. The right-arm fast bowler is still recovering from an injury that also sidelined him for most 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 temporary captain in Cummins’ absence. Although he has not captained in the IPL yet, the top-ranked T20I batter has previously led Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
“No Cummins FOR SRH at the start of IPL2026. Big breaking waiting for Abhishek Sharma. Pat Cummins likely to miss the first 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 begin their Indian Premier League 2026 campaign against southern rivals Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, March 28. Meanwhile, a recent report by ESPNcricinfo stated that Pat Cummins is still awaiting medical clearance following his extended injury break.
The right-arm pacer has played just one match since the Caribbean tour concluded in July 2025.
Abhishek Sharma Guided Punjab To Four Wins In Six SMAT 2025-26 Games Before SRH Captaincy Stint
Before linking up with India’s T20I squad for the home series against South Africa in December 2025, Abhishek Sharma captained Punjab in the 2025–26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Across six matches, the explosive opener guided his side to four victories, including dominant wins by 112 and 73 runs over Bengal and Services, respectively.
His first defeat in the tournament came against Haryana in a Super Over. Under his leadership, Punjab finished atop Elite Group C to secure a place in the Super League stage. However, they were knocked out after back-to-back defeats to Jharkhand and Andhra, with Prabhsimran Singh leading the side in that phase.
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