Sunrisers Hyderabad has announced its Australian leg-spinner Pat Cummins will continue to captain the team in the IPL 2026 season. It will be his third consecutive year of leadership for the Orange Army.
An official statement said that this announcement was made notwithstanding the inconsistency SUNRISES had in IPL 2025 season, in which the franchise could only win six out of their 14 matches, and went on to finish sixth in the points table. Wearing the captain’s hat, Cummins had also escorted the Orange Army to the Final in the 2024 season, wherein the SRH had emerged runners-up.
Performance during Cummins Tenure
In the last two seasons, Cummins led SRH in 30 matches, winning 15, losing 14, and tying the remaining two. At present, Cummins could not play the Perth Test for Ashes due to a back injury, but he hopes to be in for the Brisbane Test on November 19.
Cummins’ Journey with SRH
The 31-year-old took over SRH’s captaincy in IPL 2024 soon after being purchased for a massive ₹20.50 crore during the mega auction. His appointment followed major international achievements, including leading Australia to the World Test Championship and the 2023 ODI World Cup title.
Despite a performance dip in 2025, SRH management has reaffirmed its confidence in his leadership for the 2026 season.
SRH Squad Changes Ahead of IPL 2026
Ahead of the upcoming auction, SRH has refreshed its squad with notable moves:
- Mohammed Shami (₹10 crore) traded to Lucknow Super Giants
- Adam Zampa and Rahul Chahar released from the squad, indicating a shift in spin-bowling plans
SRH Retained Players for IPL 2026
Pat Cummins (C), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari
