Sunrisers Hyderabad appointed Ishan Kishan to lead the team during the early stages of the 2026 Indian Premier League while their permanent captain continues his recovery process. This change in leadership did not immediately result in success, as the team fell to Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets at Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28. Prior to that fixture, many expected that prominent opening batter Abhishek Sharma would be handed the captaincy. However, the franchise confirmed through social media that Ishan Kishan would lead the squad, a decision that surprised observers, including Abhishek’s mentor and former Indian all rounder Yuvraj Singh.
Yuvraj Singh on Abhishek Sharma
While speaking to Sports Tak, Yuvraj Singh highlighted that despite Abhishek’s eight year tenure with SRH and his reliable performances, he was overlooked for the leadership role.
“Abhishek Sharma has been playing for the SRH for the last 7 years and has been performing well for them. He has given his heart and soul to the franchise. He is also captaining at the state level, but he still didn’t get the captaincy of SRH,” Yuvraj Singh said.
As the released footage is a teaser for an upcoming podcast, more detailed insights from Yuvraj regarding his mentee are expected. The full interview is set to go live on April 3.
Abhishek Sharma’s most recent IPL outing
Abhishek’s latest performance occurred against the Kolkata Knight Riders during Sunrisers Hyderabad’s second match of the 2026 IPL season at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. the left handed batter recorded 48 runs from just 21 deliveries.
Fined in the same game
Sunrisers Hyderabad vice captain Abhishek Sharma faced disciplinary action following a visible reaction on the field during the IPL 2026 encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. The left handed batter displayed clear dissent after being given out, appearing to doubt the validity of a catch taken by Varun Chakravarthy. Even after the decision was confirmed via review, Abhishek remained at the crease and gestured in frustration before eventually departing for the dugout. This behavior caught the attention of match officials and resulted in penalties for violating the league code of conduct.
Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for 48 against KKR. The all rounder received a fine amounting to 25 percent of his match fees and was also handed one demerit point.
“Abhishek Sharma, All-rounder, Sunrisers Hyderabad has been fined 25 per cent of his match fees and has also accumulated one demerit point for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during his team’s match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Thursday,” the IPL released a statement.
