Former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar has commended Ishan Kishan's leadership, stating that the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain has demonstrated strong tactical awareness and should remain captain even after Pat Cummins returns to the squad during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.
Pat Cummins travelled to Australia earlier this month for follow-up assessments on a lumbar stress injury that has limited his appearances since July last year. Scans conducted in Sydney have confirmed that the injury has healed, allowing him to return to competitive cricket.
Cummins is targeting a comeback on April 25 when SRH plays the Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur. He indicated on social media that he will soon fly back to India to rejoin the team. In his absence, Ishan Kishan has captained SRH in the current IPL season.
Speaking on Star Sports, JioStar expert Sanjay Bangar praised Kishan’s clarity of thought and calm decision-making, especially in his tactical use of bowlers during matches. “Ishan Kishan as a leader is tactically very good in terms of how he uses his bowlers. He understands which bowlers to use against which batters,” Bangar said. He added that Kishan has shown maturity in managing the pace of the game without appearing rushed.
Bangar advocated for leadership continuity, suggesting Kishan retain the captaincy even after Cummins returns to full fitness. “The way he used his spinners against DC was impressive. All in all, I believe that even if Pat Cummins comes back, Ishan Kishan should continue captaining SRH. More often than not, having an Indian captain brings consistency. You cannot be sure about how fit a bowler of Pat Cummins’ calibre will stay throughout the rest of the IPL 2026, considering the niggles he’s been dealing with. Ishan continuing with the leadership duties gives a lot of continuity to the players. That would be the way to go for Hyderabad,” he said.
SRH delivered a dominant all-round performance to defeat Delhi Capitals (DC) by 47 runs in their IPL match in Hyderabad. Abhishek Sharma scored an unbeaten 135 off 68 balls, including 10 sixes, to help SRH post a total of 242 for 2 after being put into bat. Heinrich Klaasen supported with a brisk 37 off 13 balls.
In reply, DC saw initial resistance from Nitish Rana, who scored 57, and KL Rahul with 37, but regular wickets hampered their chase despite a quick start. A key turning point was a double strike by Eshan Malinga, who took 4 for 32. Harsh Dubey added late wickets to wrap up the innings, with Delhi eventually bowled out as SRH's bowling maintained control throughout the match.