"Doesn’t look flustered"- Ex-RCB coach makes big statement on Ishan Kishan's captaincy in IPL 2026

Former Team India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has revealed that he does not think Pat Cummins should be handed back the captaincy of Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026, and Ishan Kishan shoukd continue as a captain

Pat Cummins had sat out of the initial matches for SRH for workload management and injury-related reasons. Cummins is also the full-time captain of Australia in both Tests and ODIs and suffered an injury last year that kept him limited to just one Ashes Test earlier this year and ruled him out of the T20 World Cup entirely.

Ishan Kishan is a tactical leader- Sanjay Bangar

In Cummins' absence, Ishan Kishan has been handed the captaincy on an interim basis. With 4 wins in 7 matches, Ishan Kishan has led SRH to third place on the points table. Bangar was appreciative of the way Kishan made bowling changes. He said Ishan Kishan was not flustered and made the right calls.

Speaking to JioHotstar, he said, “Ishan Kishan as a leader is tactically very good in terms of how he uses his bowlers. He understands which bowlers to use against which batters. It is a clear marker of how well he controls the game. He doesn’t look flustered, is not hurried, and is taking the right calls on the field."

Pat Cummins set to bolster SRH attack

Sunrisers Hyderabad have had some trouble with their bowling in IPL 2026. Despite being on a three-match win streak, SRH have had to contend with injuries and the loss of form of their bowlers.

SRH lost Jack Edwards to injury and had to deal with Pat Cummins' unavailability. The franchise signed David Payne to replace Edwards, but he, too, got injured. SRH then brought in Gerald Coetzee. Last week, SRH signed Dilshan Madushanka as a replacement for the injured Brydon Carse.

Over the last three matches, SRH also dealt with the loss of form of veterans like Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat. Ultimately, youngsters like Sakib Hussain and Harsh Dubey have put their hand up. When Cummins finally arrives, he will also take on the captaincy as he has done in both 2024 and 2025.

Pat Cummins has fitness concerns- Sanjay Bangar

Bangar talked about the consistency that a franchise can have by having just one captain throughout the whole season.

“The way he used his spinners against DC was impressive. All in all, I believe that even if Pat Cummins comes back, Ishan should continue captaining SRH. More often than not, having an Indian captain brings consistency," he said.

Bangar concluded by highlighting Cummins' injury history. “You cannot be sure about how fit a bowler of Pat Cummins’ calibre will stay throughout the rest of IPL, considering the niggles he’s been dealing with. Ishan continuing with the leadership duties gives a lot of continuity to the players. That would be the way to go for Hyderabad."

SRH upcoming matches

Sunrisers Hyderabad are currently on a three-match winning streak. Their next match is against the Rajasthan Royals on April 25.

Incidentally, RR are the same team against whom SRH started this winning run. Before this run, though, SRH had won only one match out of four.

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