Pat Cummins Likely to Miss First Half of IPL 2026, Confirms SRH Captain Still Unclear
Sunrisers Hyderabad will miss Pat Cummins in the first half of IPL 2026. This is not a surprise, however, as they have already known this. So, they have appointed Ishan Kishan as the captain for now. Pat Cummins has reached India and is training at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. However, he is not yet fully fit.
SRH Hope for Pat Cummins Return in Second Half of IPL 2026
He has mentioned in a podcast that he is bowling a bit, but not at full speed. So, he will not be available for the first half of the tournament. He got injured last year, and since then, he has played only one match. So, he came back early for an important match, which has only worsened the situation. He also did not attend the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.
He will come back in the second half of IPL 2026 and hopefully will get a chance to play in the playoffs if Sunrisers Hyderabad qualify for them. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has released only the first 20 matches. The full schedule will be released soon.
Pat Cummins said that,
“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,”
he also added,
“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,”
There is some good news for SRH. Eshan Malinga has joined the team. He was given approval by Sri Lanka Cricket Board. He performed well last season and can perform well this time too. Still, it will not be easy to replace Cummins as a Captain.
