Why Backing Ishan Kishan Is Paying Off for Sunrisers Hyderabad

Ishan Kishan has turned out to be the real game-changer for Sunrisers Hyderabad. A few seasons back, he was released from Mumbai Indians over his poor performances. But SRH seized the moment to get him to their line-up, as he continues to shape their campaign in IPL 2026.

For Sunrisers Hyderabad, the real game-changer in this season is not Abhishek Sharma, Pat Cummins, or anyone else. It is Ishan Kishan, who has done pretty well for the team. He was not having a good time during his last 2-3 seasons for Mumbai Indians, and was eventually released by the team.
Following this, Sunrisers Hyderabad got him for a total of 11.25 crore in the Mega Auction. He was not able to do much well in that season, but the team still backed Kishan. In the IPL 2026, with Pat Cummins unavailable for the start of the season, he was named as the captain of the team. And he led Hyderabad well, helping the team to win four games out of six.
Ishan Kishan in IPL 2026:
- Innings: 8
- Not Out: 0
- Runs: 312
- Average: 39.00
- Strike Rate: 198.72
- 100s: 0
- 50s: 3
In the last game against Rajasthan Royals, Pat Cummins returned to the team and Kishan played as a batsman. While his role was reduced, he still took the responsibility in the game. He went on to score 74 runs off 31 balls, winning yet another Player of the Match award for the team.
Our Take
Backing Ishan Kishan has surely helped Sunrisers Hyderabad to a great extent. It is also being believed that if Kishan was a part of SRH in the IPL 2024 season, the final results could have gone either way. With Kishan giving his best, he also said in the post match presentation, that his best is still yet to come.