IPL 2026: Pat Cummins leaves SRH camp, returns to Australia for back scans

Fast bowler Pat Cummins, who’s been ruled out of the initial phase of the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026), has left the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) camp and flown back to Australia to have a final scan on his injured back. Cummins suffered a back injury in July during Australia’s tour to the Caribbean, which ruled him out of the majority of the home summer.

Initially, it was expected that he would be fit in time to play in the ongoing IPL; however, he’s still on the road to recovery, as Ishan Kishan has filled in his place as captain of SRH. According to ESPNCricinfo, Cummins left India after SRH’s second fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

He will undergo a scan under the supervision of Cricket Australia (CA) and is s expected to rejoin the SRH squad on April 17 if cleared by CA. Earlier, Cummins had said that he had started bowling regularly and would be fit to play in the latter half of the IPL.

"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. 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. If nothing goes wrong, [I'll] play the back half [of the IPL] plus the finals [if SRH get there],” said Cummins on Business of Sports podcast.

Cummins has only played one match since experiencing symptoms on his back last July, which was the third Test of the Ashes 2025-26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Meanwhile, SRH registered their first win of the season, beating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 65 runs. They will next take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Sunday, April 5, at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.