Jaipur, 26 April (H.S.):

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan expressed his delight at the return of regular captain Pat Cummins following his recovery from a back injury, praising the Australian leader's positive influence on the team's bowling attack.

Speaking after his match-winning performance in a high-stakes Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash against the Rajasthan Royals, Kishan noted, I was thrilled when he returned; he is an outstanding captain, and his presence adds significant strength to our bowling department.

In Saturday night's exhilarating encounter, Rajasthan Royals set a formidable target of 228/6. Hyderabad, in a masterclass of aggressive batting, chased down the 229-run target in just 18.3 overs, finishing at 229/5. Kishan, who had been leading the franchise in Cummins' absence, anchored the chase with a blistering 74 off 31 deliveries, an innings decorated with 11 fours and three sixes that earned him the Player of the Match award.

Reflecting on his time as interim captain, Kishan remarked that leading the side for seven matches was a rewarding experience, though he was happy to return his focus to his batting and wicketkeeping duties with the skipper back at the helm. He emphasized the importance of a strong powerplay start when chasing such a mammoth total, noting that the presence of aggressive openers like Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma makes the task significantly easier for the middle order.

Following this victory, Sunrisers Hyderabad has climbed to third place in the IPL 2026 standings with 10 points and a net run rate of +0.815. Punjab Kings currently lead the table with 13 points, followed by defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru with 10 points. Kishan concluded by stating that his best performance for the season is still to come, signaling his intent to remain a key contributor in the tournament's latter stages.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar