IPL 2026: Pat Cummins returns to captain Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals
Pat Cummins (Source: Getty Images)
Published - 24 Apr 2026, 10:46 PM• Read time - 2 mins
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) regular captain Pat Cummins will return to lead the side in their upcoming fixture of the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Saturday, April 25, at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur.
SRH head coach Daniel Vettori confirmed Cummins’ availability in the pre-match press conference, also mentioning that he would take over the leadership duties from stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan. Cummins was ruled out of the initial few matches of the tournament, recovering from a back injury suffered in July during Australia’s tour to the Caribbean.
He was with the team for the first few games before flying back to Australia to have a final scan on his injured back. After undergoing scans, he was given medical clearance by Cricket Australia (CA) to fly back to India and link up with the squad.
“Yes, he is fit. Yes, He will lead tomorrow, yeah,” said Vettori in the press conference.
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). He was also ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026 earlier this year.
Meanwhile, in his absence, Ishan Kishan did a brilliant job as captain, leading SRH to four wins out of seven matches. They didn’t have a memorable beginning to the campaign, winning just one out of the first four games.
Big boost to SRH's bowling attack
However, the introduction of the young pacers in Sakib Hussain and Praful Hinge has completely changed SRH’s fortunes as they’ve won their last three matches on a trot. With Eshan Malinga also breathing fire, the addition of Cummins couldn’t have come at a better time for SRH.
The speedster also expressed his excitement ahead of the upcoming fixture, sharing his practice images on his Instagram account with a caption, “Been a long time coming, stinging to get back into it tomorrow.”
