Pat Cummins Set for IPL 2026 Comeback as Sunrisers Hyderabad Face Rajasthan Royals

Pat Cummins will play his first match of Indian Premier League 2026 for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals on April 14. He missed 7 matches while recovering from a back injury. Cummins had joined SRH before their tournament opener against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 28. However, he wasn’t cleared to play yet. He returned home in early April and underwent further scans. Cricket Australia (CA) granted him fitness clearance, and he returned to India on April 17.

However, Pat Cummins missed the next two matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Chennai Super Kings (April 18) and Delhi Capitals (April 21). He needed more time to regain match fitness and build his workload. Now, he finally looks ready to play. The SRH captain took to social media to virtually confirm his participation in the RR match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. “Been a long time coming, stinging to get back into it tomorrow,” Cummins wrote.

Pat Cummins Set for IPL 2026 Return as Sunrisers Hyderabad Face Rajasthan Royals

Pat Cummins returning to Sunrisers Hyderabad is a big boost. He will strengthen the team early in the innings, especially in the powerplay. But his return also means one overseas player will have to be left out. Dilshan Madushanka will have to warm the bench despite a good performance on his IPL debut since Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, and Eshan Malinga are basically undroppable.

Another big question is captaincy. In Pat Cummins’s absence, Ishan Kishan led Sunrisers Hyderabad. He did a good job, especially since the team lost 3 of their first 4 matches and didn’t have an experienced leader like Cummins. Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes Kishan has been superb tactically and doesn’t look under pressure.

"Ishan Kishan, as a leader, is tactically very good in terms of how he uses his bowlers. He understands which bowlers to use against which batters. It is a clear marker of how well he controls the game. He doesn’t look flustered, is not hurried, and is taking the right calls on the field. The way he used his spinners against DC was impressive. All in all, I believe that even if Pat Cummins comes back, Ishan should continue captaining SRH,” Banger said on JioStar.

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IPL 2026, Match 37: Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans Predicted Playing XIs Chennai Super Kings will take on Gujarat Titans in the 37th match of Indian Premier League 2026 on April 26th at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai with the game set to begin at 3:30 PM.

by Dwijesh April 24, 2026