IPL 2026: How did Abhishek Sharma & Ishan Kishan perform in SRH’s practice game?
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Ishan Kishan will lead SRH in IPL 2026 at the start, while Abhishek Sharma has been named his deputy.
The countdown for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 has started as the tournament will commence in a few days. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are set to clash with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the tournament opener on March 28 at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Notably, Ishan Kishan has been named as the SRH captain for the first few games of IPL 2026 due to Pat Cummins’ absence. The Australian pacer has been recovering from a back injury and will undergo rehabilitation in India. He will take the reins of the side after regaining his fitness.
Moreover, Abhishek Sharma has been named as the vice-captain. Both were part of India’s squad in T20 World Cup 2026 and played a crucial role in team winning the title. With IPL 2026 around the corner, SRH are having a pre-tournament camp and are putting in hard yards to prepare.
Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan rock with their performance in SRH’s practice match
SRH also conducted an intra-squad practice match where both Kishan and Abhishek showed stellar form. Both of them scored half-centuries in the encounter, which took place at SRH’s home ground Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Abhishek scored a quick-fire 94 runs off 42 balls in the clash for SRH A in the first innings, showcasing his return to form. The left-handed batsman struggled with his form in T20 World Cup 2026 at the start, bagging three ducks in a row. However, he impressed with his performance in the final, slamming a brutal half-century.
Kishan, who was India’s second-highest run-scorer in T20 World Cup, scored 72 runs off 25 balls in the practice match. He was part of the SRH B team. Interestingly, Abhishek also came out to bat for SRH B in the second innings, where he got out for 12 runs off four deliveries.
Notably, both Ishan and Abhishek were preferred as openers by India in T20 World Cup at the start. However, since the pair struggled to provide quick starts, Sanju Samson was reinstated as an opener in the Super Four round, with Kishan moving to number three.
The move worked well as Samson scored crucial half-centuries for India in the semi-final and final and eventually ended as the team’s highest run-scorer. He also scored a match-winning half-century in the must-win game against the West Indies in the Super Four round.
Notably, Kishan has held a marvellous form since the start of 2026. He also hammered his maiden century in the T20I series against New Zealand in January. He has a big responsibility in the opening clash as SRH face defending champions RCB, with the latter having the home advantage. Abhishek’s return to form is a big boost for the IPL 2024 runners-up.
Who will lead SRH in IPL 2026?
Ishan Kishan will lead SRH in the opening games of IPL 2026 in Pat Cummins’ absence.
How did Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma perform in SRH’s practice game?
Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma scored half-centuries in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s practice game.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.