SRH captain Pat Cummins is likely to be ruled out of the initial IPL matches. Ishan Kishan will take charge of the team in his place. He has been given this responsibility because of his recent captaincy experience and excellent form.
New Delhi: Before the start of the IPL season, a big question for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) was that if captain Pat Cummins did not play in the initial matches, then who would take charge of the team? Now this question seems to be answered. Earlier there were reports that explosive opener Abhishek Sharma could become the captain in place of Cummins, but now according to the reports coming out, wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan, who led India to victory in the World Cup, will captain Hyderabad in the initial matches. It is believed that his captaincy, which made Jharkhand champion in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, has put him ahead in this race.
Actually, Cummins was injured during the Ashes series and he has not been fully fit till now. According to the report of Times of India, this is why 27-year-old Ishaan is being chosen for the captaincy, because Cummins is not sure to play the initial matches of IPL. There is no clear information yet on when he will join the team.
Abhishek Sharma’s name was also in the race for captaincy, but Ishan Kishan’s recent form and captaincy experience put him at the forefront. Under his captaincy, Ishan made Jharkhand win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for the first time. In this tournament, he was also the top scorer by scoring 517 runs at a strike rate of 197.33. Ishaan also played an important role in India’s victory in the T20 World Cup. He scored a total of 532 runs in the World Cup and New Zealand series at a strike rate of 207, which shows that he is in great form.
One good thing for the team is that with the arrival of Ishan, there will be no need to disturb the successful opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head. Ishaan can bat at number three. Last season, Ishaan played for Hyderabad, but except for a few matches, his performance was not very good. However, with his strong performance in domestic cricket and at the international level, he has now cemented his place in the team. Hyderabad’s first match is against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 28 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.