Sunrisers Hyderabad confirm Pat Cummins as captain for Indian Premier League 2026

Australia's premier fast bowler Pat Cummins will remain Sunrisers Hyderabad's (SRH) captain in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. '

Pat Cummins to remain SRH's captain

This will be third consecutive season for Cummins as SRH's skipper. This appointment confirms his leadership role for the 2026 IPL campaign, following his retention by the franchise. SRH officially announced Cummins' continued role as their leader on their X handle, sharing his pictures without disclosing further specific details about the decision.

"P.S. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 😉🧡," SRH's post on X read.

Notably, Cummins is currently dealing with a back injury, which has officially ruled him out of Australia's first Ashes Test against England, set to take place in Perth. However, the Australian quick is expected to recover in time and be ready for selection for the second match of the series, scheduled to be held in Brisbane.

SRH's released players:

Mohammed Shami (traded to Lucknow Super Giants), Adam Zampa, Rahul Chahar, Wiaan Mulder, Abhinav Manohar, Atharva Taide, Sachin Baby, Simarjeet Singh

SRH's Retained players:

Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari

Purse remaining: Rs. 25.50 crore

Slots left: 10 (2 overseas)

How did SRH fare last year?

SRH had a disappointing season in the IPL 2025, particularly as it followed their impressive runner-up finish in the previous 2024 season. Despite high expectations for the squad, which was led by Pat Cummins and coached by Daniel Vettori, the team struggled with inconsistency and failed to secure a coveted playoff spot.

In the league stage, SRH finished in the 6th position on the points table. They played a total of 14 matches, managing to secure six wins while suffering seven losses, with one match ending in a no-result. This performance accumulated a total of 13 points, which was insufficient to advance further in the competition.