'When I was not in the team ... ': How Ishan Kishan backed himself to turn things around
Fresh off a T20 World Cup triumph and two Player of the Match awards, Ishan Kishan is embracing his new role as captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2026. He aims to keep things simple, focusing on players' mindset and staying in the present to guide SRH through the season.
NEW DELHI: Ishan Kishan is living his dream at the moment. He waited for his chance, and when it came, he grabbed it with both hands. He performed and is now reaping the rewards of his hard work.
Ishan won the 2026 T20 World Cup, bagged two ‘Player of the Match’ awards, and was rewarded with the captaincy of Sunrisers Hyderabad. SRH will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28. SRH on Wednesday shared a video in which Ishan spoke about his new challenge — leading the side.
"I am very overwhelmed, and I am very happy that I got this opportunity to lead this team. And, to be very honest, I am going to just keep it simple, not to do so much because when players come for IPL, I think they are all very good players. You just need to make sure that they are on the right track," Ishan said.
"And their mindset does not change after a few innings, going here and there. And the rest is, you know, it is going to be a good season, I guess, and we will just do it together. I think there is lots and lots and lots of learning in this season because I will tell you, in the last few years, I have understood one thing, the most important thing for a cricketer is to be in a very good headspace throughout the season," he added.