SRH confirm captain for IPL 2026 after retention deadline

Sunrisers Hyderabad have confirmed their captain for the Indian Premier League 2026 after the retentions on November 15. The 2016 champions have confirmed that Pat Cummins will be at the helm of the team for the third year in a row.

Cummins has been leading the Sunrisers since IPL 2024 and led the team into the final in his first attempt, ending the season as runners-up to Kolkata Knight Riders, the team with whom he played in 2020 and pulled out in the next two seasons. 

SRH bought Pat Cummins for a massive ₹20.50 crore at the 2024 IPL auction. Recently, the franchise announced its retention list, keeping its core group intact. Along with captain Pat Cummins, the team has retained players like Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, and Nitish Kumar Reddy.

It’s worth noting that Pat Cummins has previously played in the IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals. He is currently



dealing with a back injury, which has officially ruled him out of the first Ashes Test in Perth. However, the team management hopes he will recover in time for the second Test, starting December 4 in Brisbane. Steve Smith will lead Australia in the opening Test. The first Test against England begins on November 21, with the second match starting on December 4 in Brisbane.

Ahead of IPL 2025, SRH will be aiming to move past last season’s disappointment and deliver a stronger performance. However, the biggest question remains - will Cummins fully recover and return to action before the IPL? Both the franchise and the fans are hoping for a quick recovery.

Players retained ahead of the IPL 2026 auction:

Pat Cummins (captain), 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, Ishan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari.