Pat Cummins ready for IPL comeback [Source: X]Missing out on Australia’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, skipper Pat Cummins revealed why he chose to sit out of the mega tournament. Notably, Pat Cummins was replaced in Australia’s squad by Ben Dwarshuis. Pat Cummins has been battling a back injury since Australia’s tour of the West Indies last July. During the Ashes 2025–26 tour, Cummins managed to play only one match. As the series was secured in just 11 days, the management decided to rest the skipper for the final two Tests. However, another ‘setback’ led to the 32-year-old missing out on the mega ICC tournament, which also casted doubt on his IPL 2026 participation. Revealed- Why did Pat Cummins miss T20 World Cup 2026? Cummins later revealed that sitting out of the T20 World Cup was part of a bigger vision he has for next year. Speaking to AAP, Cummins elaborated on the minor setback, stating it was unfortunate as he ran out of time to recover ahead of the mega event. "It was really unfortunate. I feel pretty good, just a minor setback and just ran out of time really. I'll rest up for a few weeks and go from there. We knew after the [Adelaide] Test match we were going to need somewhere between four and eight weeks to let the bone settle right down before then building back up,” Cummins, an Amazon Prime Video ambassador, told AAP. He added that his injury recovery was progressing well before a scan reshaped his rehabilitation plan, making the timeline a bit too tight. "Initially, we thought it might only be four weeks, because I was feeling really good, but just had a follow-up scan. They thought it probably needs another couple of weeks, so the timeline just became a bit too tight," Cummins added. Pat Cummins confirms IPL 2026 availability Amid all this, Pat Cummins also shared good news for the Orange Army. The Sunrisers Hyderabad captain in the Indian Premier League hopes to lead his franchise when IPL 2026 begins on March 26. "We'll just be guided by my back. We'll have another scan in a few weeks, and if it's good, then we'll have a slow build-up. T20s are a little bit easier to get up for [than Tests], that's why I was so close to getting up for this World Cup," Cummins affirmed. Cummins to navigate through Australia’s packed schedule Australia’s international schedule resumes in August 2026, when they host Bangladesh, before embarking on a Test tour of South Africa in September for the first time since 2018. They will then return home for four Tests against New Zealand before moving into a demanding 2027 calendar. The year ahead looks particularly busy, featuring a Test tour of India, the pink-ball 150th anniversary Test against England at the MCG. There will be an away Ashes series, the ODI World Cup, and a possible World Test Championship final at Lord’s and Pat Cummins felt it was better to rest ahead of the packed schedule. "We thought the first half of the year was a pretty good time to be conservative with the amount of cricket that's coming up. We'll get it right, then hopefully that will mean you won't have to worry about it, and you can just go out and play all those Test matches. Whereas, if you're not careful with it now and it flares up, you're chasing tail a bit," Cummins added. While Cummins will miss the T20 World Cup 2026, Australia’s campaign begins on February 11, with their opening match against Ireland at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Australia are placed in Group B, where they will face Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka as well.
