Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins has left the team’s camp and traveled back to Australia.
He will undergo a final medical scan on his injured back to determine when he can return to playing in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Planned Medical Check
The scan is a scheduled procedure supervised by Cricket Australia (CA). Cummins has been dealing with a recurring back injury for several months. This injury previously kept him out of most of the Ashes series and the T20 World Cup.
Before leaving India, Cummins had been practicing in the nets with the SRH squad but did not play in the first two matches. He explained in a recent podcast that he is following a structured plan to build up his bowling workload gradually.
Impact on Sunrisers Hyderabad
In the absence of Cummins, wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan is leading the team for the 2026 season. Under his leadership, the team has won one match and lost one.
Cummins is expected to miss at least three more upcoming games:
- April 5: Against Lucknow Super Giants
- April 11: Against Punjab Kings
- April 13: Against Rajasthan Royals
Possible Return Date
If the medical scans show positive results, Cummins could rejoin the SRH squad as early as April 17. However, his return depends entirely on receiving fitness clearance from Cricket Australia.
The Australian captain stated he remains optimistic about playing in the second half of the tournament. He mentioned that his recovery is on track and he has been bowling every three days to prepare for a comeback.
