IPL 2026: SunRisers Hyderabad registered their first win of IPL 2026, defeating Kolkata Knight Riders by 65 runs on Thursday. In their first encounter against RCB, SRH were seen struggling with their bowling department, given the absence of skipper Pat Cummins. With Cummins unavailable, the SRH management announced that Ishan Kishan will lead the side in IPL 2026.
The decision to hand over captaincy to Ishan Kishan triggered a debate on social media, as many demanded that Abhishek Sharma should have been given the chance to lead the team. Those arguing in Abhishek's support stated that the explosive batter has spent more time with SRH. They also pointed out that Abhishek is currently in the form of his life and delivered decisive performances in the recently concluded T20I World Cup.
Now, reacting to the debate, Yuvraj Singh, who coached Abhishek during his initial years, expressed disappointment over the decision to appoint Ishan Kishan as SRH captain and recalled the time when MS Dhoni was named captain of the Indian cricket team in 2007. While Yuvraj questioned the decision, he praised Ishan Kishan and said that both youngsters share a good bond, which, he added, will help Abhishek overcome this setback.
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"I was a bit disappointed. I also love Ishan Kishan; I have seen his growth in Indian cricket as well. Let me give you an example from a player's perspective: Abhishek Sharma came into the team before the World Cup, his state team won, he scored a hundred, then he played in the World Cup, scored runs, India won, and then they made him captain," he said, as quoted by Sports Tak.
"In franchise cricket, if a player has been with one team for seven years, giving his heart and soul, captaining his state, and then doesn't get the leadership role, what frame of mind will he play with? But the good thing is that he has a good relationship with Ishan," Yuvraj added.
Recalling 2007, when MS Dhoni was announced as captain of Team India despite the presence of senior players, Yuvraj said it is disappointing from a player's perspective to be overlooked. "For example, when I was in the Indian team, Bhajji and Sehwag were senior, and I was the vice-captain. This was around 2007. But out of nowhere, MS Dhoni became captain, whatever the reasons were," Yuvraj said.
"When MS was made captain, it was like someone was destined to lead and do great things for India. That is going to happen. But from a player's perspective, it is disappointing when someone has done so much for a team over many years," he added.
Yuvraj said that the Hyderabad management should have trusted Abhishek Sharma, considering the number of years he has spent with the franchise. "If Hyderabad win tomorrow—which I don't think will happen, as I feel their bowling is very weak—my words may be proven wrong, and I'm okay with that criticism. But my point is that you have to give a player captaincy for them to learn. I think the IPL is a great stage for that," Yuvraj said.
"Communication is important, but I don't know the basis of this decision. I told Abhishek: 'This happened, and it is disappointing, but now we put that aside.' Supporting the captain and pushing harder because something has hurt you should be the motivation," he concluded.