Kavya Maran to Name this Expensive Player as SRH New Captain

Sunrisers Hyderabad are likely to make a surprising move ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). It is being reported that the franchise owner, Kavya Maran, is set to make some changes in the team, particularly in the leadership department.

The franchise finished sixth in IPL 2025 standings with six wins and seven losses. Pat Cummins, team's regular captain is currently injured and could be in doubt for the IPL 2026 as well. Cummins was recently ruled out of the second Ashes Test after being ruled out for the first match earlier.

Heinrich Klaasen To Be Named New SRH Captain 2026?

Numerous reports suggest that former South Africa cricketer Heinrich Klaasen is likely to be announced as SRH new captain for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League. Klaasen was retained by the franchise for a whopping INR 23 crore price last year. The move came after the wicketkeeper-batter's tremendous contribution during the 2024 edition, where he helped Sunrisers Hyderabad to qualify for the finals, where they were defeated by KKR, who lifted their third IPL title.

Klaasen has been performing really well in the last three editions, scoring 448, 479, and 497 runs in the 2024, 2024, and 2025 editions, respectively. Earlier this year, Klaasen decided to quit the captaincy of Seattle Orcas to focus on his batting. He is considered as one of the best T20 batsmen in the world. So, it would be interesting to see how he will perform as SRH's captain, if the rumours are believed to be true.

Will Pat Cummins Miss IPL 2025?

One of the reasons why Klaasen is likely to be made SRH's captain could be the possible unavailability of their regular skipper, Pat Cummins, from the upcoming season. After missing the first AUS vs ENG Test in Perth, Cummins will also miss the second Test in Brisbane. Cricket Australia has informed that Cummins is still recovering from the injury and is likely to be back in the third Ashes Test.

Cummins was retained by SRH last year for INR 18 crores and continued to lead the team. He is considered one of the best captains in the world. The star Australian bowler has an ODI World Cup and a World Test Championship title under his name, which is enough to speak volumes about his leadership skills. He also led SRH to the final of IPL 2024. So, not having Cummins in the upcoming IPL edition can be a turning point for SRH.