IPL 2026: Ishan Kishan gets animated send-off as things heat up in SRH camp
Sunrisers Hyderabad's stand-in captain Ishan Kishan was playfully sent off by teammate Zeeshan Ansari during a practice game. Kishan, who is leading SRH in Pat Cummins' absence due to injury, responded sportingly to the leg-spinner's animated gesture. This incident occurs as Kishan takes on leadership duties following his stellar T20 World Cup performance.
Stand-in Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Ishan Kishan found himself at the centre of a fiery on-field moment during a practice game on Saturday, when teammate Zeeshan Ansari gave him an animated send-off after dismissing him. The incident unfolded in the eighth over of the second innings. Kishan, who looked in sublime touch early on, took the attack to the 26-year-old leg-spinner, smashing two sixes and two boundaries off the first four deliveries.
However, Ansari had the final say. He deceived the wicketkeeper-batter with a full ball, leading to a mistimed shot that was safely caught at deep square leg. — IS_Netwrk29 (@IS_Netwrk29) What followed was a charged reaction from the bowler, who gestured Kishan to head back to the pavilion.
The SRH skipper, though, chose to take it sportingly and responded with a smile, diffusing the tension. The moment comes at a time when Kishan has been handed leadership responsibilities for the early phase of the Indian Premier League 2026 season. The franchise named him interim captain, with Abhishek Sharma serving as his deputy, as regular skipper Pat Cummins continues his recovery from a lower back stress injury.
Cummins’ injury had already ruled him out of a significant portion of the recent The Ashes in Australia and also sidelined him during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. While confirming the leadership change, SRH stated that Cummins would miss a few matches but did not clarify the exact duration of his absence. Kishan steps into the role on the back of an outstanding run in the T20 World Cup, where he played a pivotal part in India’s title-winning campaign.