Pat Cummins: Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Choice for IPL 2026 Captaincy

The Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise has announced that Pat Cummins will continue as their captain for the IPL 2026 season, extending his leadership role for a third consecutive year. The team confirmed the decision on Monday with an update on their official social media accounts. This reaffirmation of Cummins’ captaincy comes despite his current recovery from a back injury, which has ruled him out of the first Ashes Test. He is expected to be fit for the second Test later this year. Cummins, a high-profile acquisition in the 2024 IPL auction for ₹20.50 crore, has been central to SRH’s strategy, especially after his success leading Australia to major global titles. The team is also keeping its explosive opening batsmen, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, who were key to their IPL 2024 campaign that saw them reach the final. Following a sub-par IPL 2025 season where they missed the playoffs, SRH has opted for significant roster changes, trading Mohammed Shami and releasing spinners Adam Zampa and Rahul Chahar. These strategic moves suggest an effort to rebuild the bowling unit and improve squad cohesion around Cummins’ captaincy.