SRH, the IPL 2016 winners, will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M, Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28. Cummins has not played competitive cricket since the third Ashes Test in Adelaide in December 2025, after being out of action post the tour of West Indies due to a lumbar bone stress injury in his lower back.

He was subsequently ruled out of the remaining Ashes matches and the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup due to the same issue. IANS understands that Abhishek and wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who were members of the Indian team that won the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, are in the race to lead SRH in Cummins absence.

Kishan, who has been in the SRH camp since the 2025 IPL, captained Jharkhand to winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in the recent domestic season and has understandably strong credentials to lead the side in Cummins’ absence.

Abhishek, meanwhile, joined SRH ahead of IPL 2019 and has been a mainstay with the side - forming an ultra-attacking opening partnership alongside Australia’s Travis Head. While the in-form Kishan hit three fifties in India’s triumphant T20 World Cup win, Abhishek finally found mojo to smash a half-century off just 18 balls in the final, which India won by 96 runs.

“Pat Cummins is recovering from the injury, but he mostly needs to clear his fitness tests, and then he will join the team. He is ready to play, but he has to clear the fitness tests and then join the SRH set-up. As Cummins will take more time, the team management is still deciding if either Ishan or Abhishek will lead SRH.

“If all goes well, then whoever is the interim SRH captain will attend the IPL 2026 captains and managers meet, to be held on March 25 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. A customary photoshoot of all ten captains with the tournament’s trophy will also be held there,” said a source familiar with the matter to IANS on Monday.

If Abhishek becomes SRH’s captain, this will be the first time he has captained an IPL side, which will also be the case if Kishan gets the leadership armband. But Cummins' absence for the initial IPL 2026 games is a huge blow for SRH.

His absence deprives them of having both their leader and their most dependable bowler in what is already considered the side's most vulnerable department, despite having one of the most fearsome batting line-ups in the competition.

If Abhishek becomes SRH’s captain, this will be the first time he has captained an IPL side, which will also be the case if Kishan gets the leadership armband. But Cummins' absence for the initial IPL 2026 games is a huge blow for SRH.

Uncapped bowling options include Shivang Kumar, Krains Fuletra, Jack Edwards, Sakib Hussain, Onkar Tarmale, Amit Kumar, and Praful Hinge. After the highs of 2024, when they finished as runners-up, SRH misfired throughout the campaign to finish at sixth place in the points table in 2025.