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Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) stand-in captain Ishan Kishan opened up on his strategy for leading the team in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, which is scheduled to start from March 28.
The Hyderabad-based franchise will start their IPL campaign against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Kishan will lead the side for the first time, as regular skipper Pat Cummins is set to miss initial stage of the tournament
Ishan Kishan always wanted to be a leader
SRH shared a clip where Kishan admitted that he has always wanted to take on a leadership role and guide a team through different situations. He further stated that he feels both happy and emotional about getting this opportunity. At the same time, Ishan made it clear that he doesn’t want to overcomplicate things and plans to keep his approach simple.
"I've always wanted to be a leader of the team, you know, and take the team forward from whatever situation. So, I'm very overwhelmed, and I'm very happy that I got this opportunity to lead this team. And to be very honest, I'm gonna just keep it simple, not to do so much because when players come to IPL, I think they're all very good players," he said in a video released by SRH.
Ishan Kishan's strategy as a captain
The southpaw added that his main job as captain is to make sure players stay focused and don’t lose confidence after a few ups and downs. According to him, if the team stays mentally strong, the rest will fall into place.
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"You just need to make sure that they are on the right track and their mindset doesn't change after a few innings, going here and there. And the rest is, you know, it's gonna be a good season, I guess, and we'll just do it together," the skipper added.
Ishan also opened up about his captaincy strategy, saying that staying calm and focused is key for any cricketer. He believes that being aware of the situation and what the team needs at any moment can make a big difference.
"The most important thing for a cricketer is to be in a very good headspace throughout the season. You know, what matters the most is if you are calm, if you are composed and you're just aware of the situation of what's happening and what's needed for the team, you're gonna do well," he said.
He said the team will focus on one match at a time, stay in the present, and enjoy their cricket without putting too much pressure on themselves.
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"So, mostly this season, we'll make sure that we just stay present, we just keep it simple, and do as much hard work as we can before the match starts. But in the match, we're just gonna enjoy the game and take one match at a time," Kishan added.
Ishan Kishan thanked fans for their support
Kishan also thanked the fans for their continued support and asked them to stand by the team this season as well. SRH are aiming to win their first IPL title in ten years, and he said the team will give their best to make it happen.
"On behalf of my team, I would love to say thank you so much for being part of this journey. And this season is gonna be special. We'll need your support. We'll need your love. We're gonna play our best cricket," he said.
"We are going to do our best, give our best for you guys, especially because I know what kind of support we get when we play for SRH. Hopefully, we'll do our best and try to give up a very good show. And thank you for all the support till now," Kishan concluded.
Kishan is coming into the tournament in great form. In the recent T20 World Cup 2026, he scored 532 runs in 13 matches, averaging just over 40 and scoring at a strike rate of more than 200.
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