Pat Cummins confirmed as SRH captain for IPL 2026 ahead of mini-auction – cricexec

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Sunrisers Hyderabad have confirmed Pat Cummins will lead the side for a third straight season, solidifying his captaincy role ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
By Cricexec Staff
November 19, 2025
|   6:38 am
Sunrisers Hyderabad have officially confirmed Pat Cummins as their captain for the upcoming 2026 IPL season, continuing his leadership tenure into a third consecutive year. The decision was announced on the franchise’s official handle on X (formerly Twitter), shortly after the league’s retention deadline on November 15.

A post shared by SunRisers Hyderabad (@sunrisershyd)

The early confirmation sets the tone for Hyderabad’s mini-auction strategy as they look to regroup after an inconsistent 2025 season. Cummins remains the centrepiece of SRH’s leadership core, with the team opting for continuity and trust in his tactical experience.
Cummins, who was signed for ₹20.5 crore (US$2.3 million) ahead of IPL 2024, was immediately handed the captaincy and delivered impact in his debut season, guiding SRH to the final — their first since 2018. That run ended in a runner-up finish to Kolkata Knight Riders, one of Cummins’ former teams.
The 2025 campaign proved more challenging. Hyderabad finished sixth with six wins and seven losses, missing out on playoff qualification. Despite the underwhelming result, SRH management has opted to back Cummins’ leadership and retain him at the helm.
The confirmation comes even as Cummins is currently recovering from a back injury, which has ruled him out of the first Ashes Test in Perth. He is expected to return for the second match in Brisbane. His absence from national duty has not deterred the IPL franchise from reinforcing their trust in his leadership.
Over the past two IPL seasons, Cummins has taken 34 wickets — 18 in 2024 and 16 in 2025 — and has established himself as a reliable all-format leader. His overall IPL record stands at 79 wickets from 72 matches since his debut in 2014.
Alongside Cummins, Sunrisers retained several key performers including Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, and Ishan Kishan, while parting ways with veterans such as Mohammed Shami (traded to Lucknow Super Giants), Adam Zampa, and Rahul Chahar. The squad appears set for a reshaped identity built around Cummins’ style of play.
Hyderabad’s early announcement of their captain is likely aimed at ensuring clarity and stability heading into the 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi, where all ten teams will finalize their squads for the upcoming season.
Retained:
Pat Cummins (captain), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari
Released:
Mohammed Shami (traded to Lucknow Super Giants), Adam Zampa, Rahul Chahar, Wiaan Mulder, Abhinav Manohar, Atharva Taide, Sachin Baby, Simarjeet Singh

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