Pat Cummins has been given the medical green light to link up again with Sunrisers Hyderabad and expects to play his first IPL match of the season on 25 April, away to Rajasthan Royals.
The Australia captain flew home earlier this month for routine scans on the lumbar stress injury that has limited him to a single competitive match since last July. Those pictures, taken in Sydney, showed the bone has healed, prompting a swift turnaround. Replying to a family holiday snap on Instagram, Cummins confirmed he would “fly back on Friday” and, fitness permitting, slot straight into the side later in the month.
Sunrisers began the campaign with Cummins in camp but not on the team sheet. In his absence wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has stood in at the toss. Head coach Daniel Vettori was grateful for the senior bowler’s presence even from the sidelines. “We’re fortunate enough that Pat has been around the group and he’s been able to have conversations with Ishan about his captaincy style,” Vettori said.
For Hyderabad the results have been mixed – two wins and three defeats leave them clustered in mid-table. The most glaring wobble came against Punjab Kings when 219 proved insufficient after the Kings plundered the closing overs. A 57-run victory over Royals steadied things but, with a congested fixture list ahead, reinforcements are welcome.
Cummins first felt discomfort on Australia’s tour of the West Indies last year. He fought through to play the Adelaide Ashes Test – six wickets there ensured the urn stayed put – but medical advice since has been to proceed with caution. Hopes of featuring in the T20 World Cup faded quickly, and the initial stages of the IPL were also ruled out.
The workload awaiting him once the tournament ends is anything but light. Between August and the following July Australia are scheduled for at least 20 Tests spread across Bangladesh, South Africa, New Zealand, India and an Ashes defence in England. Add the 150th-anniversary fixture at the MCG and a possible World Test Championship final in June, and the calendar looks unforgiving.
Managing the fast-bowling cartel is already a live issue. Josh Hazlewood, on Royal Challengers Bengaluru duty, eased back with a single outing, sat out the next game, then returned to claim 1 for 20 against Lucknow Super Giants. Mitchell Starc has yet to join Delhi Capitals while he nurses shoulder and elbow niggles picked up during the BBL.
Back in the Sunrisers camp, attention turns to how best to integrate their skipper. Match fitness, rather than the injury itself, is the primary concern. The franchise could ask him to bowl a shortened first spell or even hold him back until the middle overs, though Cummins has rarely been one for softly-softly approaches. A more likely scenario is the medical staff keeping a watchful eye while he resumes his customary role with the new ball.
The wider IPL will not complain. Cummins’ return adds star power to a tournament that, for all its depth, still leans on headline names to pull in neutral viewers. Hyderabad, meanwhile, regain both a strike bowler and a composed tactician – assets that could turn a stuttering start into a genuine tilt at the play-offs.
If all goes to plan, the countdown ends in Jaipur a week on Friday. Given the long lay-off, even four tidy overs and a clean bill of health would represent meaningful progress. Anything on top of that is a bonus for Sunrisers now and, looking ahead, for Australia’s relentless year to come.
