Pat Cummins flies to Australia for a crucial back injury scan, targeting a mid-season return for SRH in IPL 2026.
Pat Cummins, the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad, has flown back to Australia to undergo a final scan on his injured back. The right-arm pacer has had limited match time since July 2025, featuring in just one Ashes Test during this period.
As per reports, the scan had been scheduled well in advance, with Cricket Australia keen to monitor his recovery closely. Cummins departed the SRH camp soon after their win over Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. If he receives clearance, he is expected to rejoin the squad on April 17, just ahead of their clash against Chennai Super Kings.
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Cummins Confident of Mid-Season Comeback
The Australian skipper had earlier outlined his recovery roadmap before the start of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, expressing confidence in returning during the latter stages of the tournament.
“If nothing goes wrong, [I’ll] play the back half [of the IPL] plus the finals,” Cummins said prior to the start of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season on the Business of Sport podcast.
“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. 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,” he added.
SRH Manage Without Cummins, Kishan Leads Side
In Cummins’ absence, SRH handed the captaincy to Ishan Kishan for the 2026 campaign. The team endured a loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their opening fixture but bounced back strongly with a win over KKR.
SRH have relied on overseas pacers like Eshan Malinga and David Payne to fill the void left by Cummins, while fellow Australian Jack Edwards also remains sidelined due to injury.
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