Abhishek Sharma Wants Out of SRH Amid Captaincy Row

Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma has emerged as the biggest talking point of the IPL retentions window, with reports suggesting he is looking for a new home. As franchises finalise their core squads, the explosive left-hander is believed to be exploring an exit from the team he joined in 2019.

Captaincy Decision Sparks Tension

The trouble reportedly began when SRH chose to hand the captaincy to Ishan Kishan. The franchise is keen to continue with Kishan as skipper, while Pat Cummins is likely to stay unavailable in 2027 due to a packed international calendar. A source close to the developments said it is no longer a secret that Abhishek is unhappy, as he had clear captaincy ambitions after years with the franchise.

Possible Destinations Under Discussion

Informal talks have reportedly taken place with multiple franchises, though nothing substantial has materialised. Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings are being mentioned as potential suitors. Delhi Capitals cannot be ruled out either, since his mentor Yuvraj Singh is part of their set-up.

Captaincy openings are scarce, with Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants seen as the only teams without settled leadership. Abhishek may even accept a non-captaincy role, as exiting SRH appears to be his immediate priority.

SRH CEO K Shanmugam dismissed the chatter as “not true”, and sources close to the player insist nothing is happening. Any deal, whether a cash transfer or a player trade, would involve many moving parts.

Ranked the World No. 2 T20 batter, Abhishek remains one of the hottest properties in the format. Franchises have over a month to freeze their squads before the December mini-auction, and all eyes will remain on the SRH camp.