As Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) prepares to take on defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) tonight, all eyes are on Ishan Kishan. The explosive left-hander is set to achieve a unique feat, becoming the youngest Indian captain in the history of the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise.
At 27 years and 253 days old, Kishan will lead the “Orange Army” at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, stepping in for regular skipper Pat Cummins, who is sidelined for the first few weeks of the season due to a lower back injury.
While the overall record for the youngest SRH captain is still held by Kane Williamson (who was 27 years and 244 days old during his 2018 debut), Kishan surpasses former Indian captains of the team like Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Manish Pandey to claim the top spot among Indians.
This captaincy debut caps off a “golden run” for the Patna-born cricketer, who recently led Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title and played a pivotal role in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 victory. Additionally, Kishan is just 2 runs away from reaching the career milestone of 3,000 IPL runs.
Complete List of SRH Captains (2013-2026)
Kumar Sangakkara (2013): The franchise’s inaugural captain. He led in 9 matches before stepping down mid-season due to poor form.
Cameron White (2013): Took over from Sangakkara for the remaining 8 matches of the debut season, successfully guiding the team to the playoffs.
Shikhar Dhawan (2013-2014): Led the side for 16 matches across two seasons before relinquishing the role to focus on his batting.
Daren Sammy (2014): The two-time T20 World Cup winner captained SRH for the final 4 matches of the 2014 season.
David Warner (2015-2021): The most successful captain in SRH history. He led in 67 matches and captained the team to their only IPL title in 2016.
Kane Williamson (2018-2022): Stepped in during Warner’s absence and later became full-time captain. He led in 46 matches and reached the 2018 final.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2019-2023): Served as a reliable stand-in captain over multiple seasons, leading the side in 8 matches.
Manish Pandey (2021): Led for a single match in the 2021 season when the regular captain and vice-captain were unavailable.
Aiden Markram (2023): Appointed captain in 2023 after leading Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the SA20 title. He led SRH in 13 matches.
Pat Cummins (2024-Present): The regular captain who led SRH to the 2024 final and a record-breaking season as a batting powerhouse.
Ishan Kishan (2026): Named the 11th captain of SRH history to lead the team at the start of the 2026 season while Cummins recovers from injury.
