Pat Cummins Releases Official Statement On His IPL 2026 Availability For SRH

Pat Cummins [Source: AFP]

In a significant development, Australia legend Pat Cummins issued a statement about his future in IPL 2026 amid uncertainties following an injury setback. Cummins joined SRH after the franchise secured his services for a whopping price of INR 20.50 crores at the IPL 2024 auction. 

The Australian great powered the Sunrisers Hyderabad to the final of the IPL 2024, where they finished as the runners-up following a crushing defeat to KKR. 

Considering Cummins is a vital cog in the SRH IPL 2026 squad, the Orange Army were hopeful of his recovery from a back injury that mostly kept him out of The Ashes 2025-26. 

Pat Cummins issues statement on his IPL 2026 availability

The IPL 2026 begins on Saturday, March 28, with SRH taking on defending champions RCB in a high-profile curtain-raiser at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Ahead of the crucial clash, the Sunrisers' regular skipper Pat Cummins released a statement on his availability for the tournament. 

It's worth noting that Pat Cummins has been rehabilitating from a recurring lumbar bone stress injury for quite some time now. 

The ace speedster missed four of the five home Ashes Tests due to the injury, which also sidelined him from the T20 World Cup 2026, where Australia suffered an embarrassing group-stage elimination. 

With uncertainties looming over his availability for the IPL 2026, Pat Cummins has revealed that he's eyeing a comeback in the second half of the tournament for SRH. 

Speaking to the Business of Sport podcast, Cummins stated that he had resumed bowling in the nets and would likely play the IPL matches in the second half. 

Also read: Ishan Kishan To Become SRH's Permanent Captain? Pat Cummins Drops Big Hint

The talismanic cricketer also reckoned that he would be fit to feature in the IPL 2026 playoffs, provided the Sunrisers enter the second round of the competition. 

"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. 

"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. 

Ishan Kishan to lead SRH in absence of Pat Cummins

The Sunrisers have already appointed Ishan Kishan as their stand-in captain in the absence of Pat Cummins for the IPL 2026. 

The swashbuckling southpaw recently led Jharkhand to a historic Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy triumph and would be hoping to make a similar impact for the Hyderabad-based franchise this season. 

Abhishek Sharma will play his deputy, with SRH naming him their vice-captain for the upcoming IPL season. 

What could be SRH's bowling attack Vs RCB in Cummins' unavailability?

As Pat Cummins has confirmed his unavailability for the first half of the IPL 2026, the Sunrisers are expected to field a bowling attack comprising Harshal Patel, Zeeshan Ansari, Eshan Malinga and Jaydev Unadkat in their first match against RCB. 

The highly anticipated encounter is all set to be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28. 

Also read: Fact Check- Did Overseas Players Pull Out Of PSL 2026 Due To Pakistan-Afghanistan War?