Despite the fact that Pat Cummins, the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s regular captain, would be absent for the first few weeks of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, head coach Daniel Vettori doesn’t think the team should be concerned about his absence. Since Ishan Kishan is leading the team in Cummins’ absence, Vettori is aware that while the two may have different leadership philosophies, the winning mentality is the same.
The head coach of SRH disclosed that Cummins and Kishan are already having a lot of conversations about leadership and preparing the team for their second IPL title ahead of their second league stage match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.
“We’re fortunate enough that Pat has been around the group and he’s been able to have conversations with Ishan about his captaincy style. But Ishan has been highly successful in his captaincy career so far. So whilst it can be slightly different, we don’t look at [no Pat Cummins on the field] as a negative at all [from the point of view of captaincy],” Vettori was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
For those unaware, Ishan Kishan led Jharkhand cricket team to victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2025 and also finished as the team’s top run-scorer. Moreover, according to Daniel Vettori, this leadership style brings out the best in a player like Kishan. Therefore, the former New Zealand international has expressed complete faith in Kishan’s ability to lead Sunrisers Hyderabad for now.
“As you saw by Ishan’s performance in the first game, he loves leadership; he loves being out there, and I think it can have a real positive effect on his batting and keeping. As he gets to understand the group and the dynamic, he’s going to put his mark on it and I have no doubt that he will be a very effective leader for us,” Vettori mentioned.
“He has been around for a long time, even though he’s so young, but he has a real confidence in his game and I think that’s born out of the success [with Jharkhand] in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, being re-selected for India, and the success with India,” he added further.
SRH will be playing their IPL 2024 finalists against their opponent on Thursday, April 2, at the famous Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Mumbai Indians destroyed the team of Ajinkya Rahane, and SRH lost their debut match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The two teams are hoping to start the season on a high note in the points table and therefore the match is projected to be a night time event.
