Australia captain Pat Cummins has addressed speculation surrounding his participation in IPL 2026, providing clarity on his fitness and expected return timeline for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The franchise secured his services for INR 20.50 crores during the IPL 2024 auction, and he played a major role in guiding SRH to the final that season, where they finished runners-up after a heavy defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders.
Cummins remains a key figure in SRH’s plans for IPL 2026, and the team had been optimistic about his recovery from a back injury that limited his involvement in The Ashes 2025–26. The tournament is set to begin on Saturday, March 28, with SRH scheduled to face defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The fast bowler has been undergoing rehabilitation for a recurring lumbar bone stress injury, which forced him to miss four of the five home Ashes Tests and also ruled him out of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, where Australia exited at the group stage.
Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, Cummins confirmed that he is targeting a return in the latter stages of the IPL campaign. He revealed that he has resumed bowling in practice and is working towards match readiness as the tournament progresses.
“I’m still recovering from a back injury, but it’s good. I’m back bowling in the nets. The IPL is starting soon. I won’t make the start of that, but it shouldn’t be too long before I’m back out there playing,” Cummins said.
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“I’m back bowling. I’m bowling basically every third day at the moment. We’ve mapped out a plan to get me right by [the] middle of the tournament, so hopefully, if nothing goes wrong, [I’ll] play the back half plus the finals,” he added.
Leadership Changes in Cummins’ Absence
With Cummins unavailable for the initial phase, SRH have appointed Ishan Kishan as stand-in captain for IPL 2026. The left-handed batter recently captained Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title and will look to carry that leadership momentum into the upcoming season.
Abhishek Sharma has been named vice-captain as the franchise reshapes its leadership group ahead of the campaign.
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Expected Bowling Combination for Season Opener
In Cummins’ absence, SRH are likely to field a pace attack featuring Harshal Patel, Zeeshan Ansari, Eshan Malinga, and Jaydev Unadkat for their opening fixture against RCB.
The much-anticipated contest between the two sides is scheduled to take place at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28.
