Australia’s white-ball captain Pat Cummins will miss the opening matches of IPL 2026 due to a back injury, forcing Sunrisers Hyderabad to appoint a temporary leader. India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan will take charge in his absence, with Abhishek Sharma named vice-captain.

Cummins sidelined with back injury

SRH confirmed that Cummins will sit out “a few games” as he recovers from a back problem picked up ahead of the 2025-26 Ashes.

The seaming all-rounder played only one match in the Ashes before missing the rest of the series. He was also unavailable for the 2026 T20 World Cup due to the same issue.

Kishan to lead SRH

In Cummins’ absence, Kishan has been handed the captaincy role, while swashbuckling opener Abhishek will assist him as deputy.

The franchise announced the decision officially, stating that the arrangement will remain in place until Cummins regains full fitness.

Strong form backs Kishan’s elevation

Kishan’s appointment comes on the back of consistent performances in domestic and international cricket.

He led Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in 2025, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 517 runs. He also impressed in India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign in 2026, scoring 317 runs.

After being signed by SRH for Rs 14.5 crore (Rs 145 million) ahead of IPL 2025, Kishan made an immediate impact with a century on debut and went on to score 354 runs in the season.

Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of carrying out a targeted airstrike on a hospital for drug users in Kabul late on Monday night, claiming the attack killed at least 400 people.

Several players from Afghanistan’s national cricket team have condemned reported civilian casualties following airstrikes in Kabul attributed to Pakistan.

Senior Afghanistan Player Rashid Khan said on online that he felt extremely upset and heartbroken to see so many civilians of his country dead, especially the innocents and the kids. He said that attacking hospitals is extremely wrong. Mohammed Nabi also said something similar to Rashid. And for your information, this whole problem happened during a very peaceful festival in Muslim culture. This happened during the Ramadan season. 

Many other Afghan cricketers spoke about this situation and showed their support to the victims of Pakistan’s cruel acts. 

But, even after all of this, Pakistan refused that they had done this. They said that they only wanted to target terrorist, not hospitals and civilians.

Fresh from being honoured at the BCCI Naman Awards 2026 in New Delhi, Shubman Gill has now joined the Gujarat Titans camp as preparations begin for the Indian Premier League 2026 season.

Gill was named the Best International Cricketer at the ceremony, receiving the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award for the second time after first wining it in 2023. The award recognised his outstanding performances during the 2024-25 season, further cementing his reputation as one of India’s most dependable batters.

With the celebrations behind him, Gill has quickly switched his focus to franchise cricket, linking up with the Titans squad as they gear up for another IPL campaign.

Gujarat Titans will begin their season with an away clash against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on March 31. Gill’s side will then return to their home ground, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where they face Rajasthan Royals on April 4.

After a strong 2025 campaign that saw them register nine wins, the Gill-led Titans will be aiming to build on that momentum and push for another IPL title this season.