Australia Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins has flown back Down Under for the final scans on his injured back. The designated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) leader has already missed the opening two Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 matches; however, he was in India, training with the rest of the squad and building up his workload. Cummins has been out of action since July last year, with only one appearance in the Ashes in between.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Cummins will undergo a final scan of his injured back in Australia under Cricket Australia’s supervision. The pacer left the SRH squad after the team’s 65-run win over the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens.
Cummins is expected to join the Hyderabad squad on April 17 if he gets the due clearance from Cricket Australia. Earlier, the 32-year-old had said that if everything went to plan, then he would surely play the second half of the 19th edition of the IPL. In Cummins’ absence, Ishan Kishan has been leading Sunrisers and the 2016 champions have so far won one and lost one.
“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 on the Business of Sports podcast.
“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.
Cummins’ workload
The third Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval was Cummins’ only competitive game since he first experienced some discomfort in his back last July. After missing the bulk of the five-match series against England, the pacer was hoping to play a key part in the T20 World Cup but was ruled out after what he described as a “minor setback” in his recovery.
SRH desperately need Cummins to recover and feature in the playing XI as the bowling looks very thin on paper. The franchise might have won against KKR, but one cannot deny that bowling is the team’s weakest suit in the IPL 2026 season.
To make matters worse, Brydon Carse, the England speedster, is also injured, and hence Eshan Malinga and David Payne have been playing for Hyderabad as overseas pace options.
Sunrisers will next take on the Lucknow Super Giants at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday, April 5.
