Pat Cummins Eyes IPL Comeback After Back Injury Recovery
Pat Cummins on the Road to Recovery
New Delhi, March 25: Pat Cummins, the captain of Australia's Test and ODI teams, has shared positive news regarding his recovery from a back injury. He aims to return to the field during the latter part of the upcoming IPL 2026 season.
In a recent episode of a Business of Sport podcast, as reported by a leading sports news outlet, Cummins, who also leads the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), mentioned that he has started bowling in the nets and is progressively increasing his training intensity as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation program.
“I’m still on the mend from a back injury, but I’m feeling good. I’m back to bowling in the nets,” he stated.
While acknowledging that he will miss the initial matches of the IPL, Cummins remains hopeful about a swift return to competitive play.
“The IPL is just around the corner. I won’t be available at the start, but I expect to be back on the field soon,” he added.
He further explained that he is currently bowling every third day, following a carefully structured plan to ensure a safe return to the game.
“We have outlined a strategy to have me ready by the middle of the tournament, so if everything goes according to plan, I should be able to participate in the latter matches and the finals,” he noted.
Last year, Cummins played only one Test against England during the Ashes series due to a stress injury in his back. He also missed the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup held in India and Sri Lanka.
In his absence, Ishan Kishan has been appointed as the stand-in captain for Sunrisers Hyderabad for the 2026 season.
Sunrisers Hyderabad squad for IPL 2026 includes: Ishan Kishan, Salil Arora, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, Ravichandran Smaran, Aniket Verma, Abhishek Sharma, Brydon Carse, Harsh Dubey, Krains Fuletra, Liam Livingstone, Kamindu Mendis, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshal Patel, Shivam Mavi, Shivang Kumar, Jack Edwards, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Eshan Malinga, David Payne, Sakib Hussain, Onkar Tarmale, Jaydev Unadkat, Zeeshan Ansari, David Payne, and Pat Cummins.