Pat Cummins drops IPL 2026 availability hint, eyes ‘back half and finals’ but adds: ‘If nothing goes wrong…’

Pat Cummins had a light training session at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday

Updated on: Mar 26, 2026, 11:08:47 IST

Written by Aratrick Mondal

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Pat Cummins on Wednesday addressed his availability for the upcoming 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), revealing that he is targeting a return in the second half of the tournament as he continues to recover from a lumbar stress injury.

Pat Cummins will miss the start of IPL 2026 (AFP)

Cummins has played just one competitive match since July last year, the third Ashes Test in December, as he continues to manage the back issue. He was initially expected to feature in the T20 World Cup but was eventually ruled out due to what was described as a “minor setback”. The Australian skipper also made himself unavailable for the first half of the IPL season, with Sunrisers Hyderabad appointing Ishan Kishan as interim captain in his absence.

Cummins has since arrived in India and had a light training session at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, even bowling casually in the nets.

Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, in an episode recorded late last week, Cummins said he is progressing well but remains cautious about his return timeline.

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"I'm still recovering from a back injury, but it's good. I'm back bowling in the nets," Cummins said. "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, so hopefully, if nothing goes wrong, [I'll] play the back half plus the finals."

Cummins also backed Kishan’s appointment as stand-in skipper, pointing to his recent success in domestic cricket, where he led Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title.

"Ishan's had a really successful captaincy stint with his local side in the last year or so," Cummins said. "Those guys, you're leaning on anyway. We've got quite an experienced bowling group of local guys, so a few of the younger guys that come through that I don't know as well, particularly early on in a season, I'm definitely leaning on the local guys who do know them well - or even speak the language.

"Most of the guys speak really great English, but some of them don't, and there are local dialects, so that can be a little bit of a barrier for an international captain."

Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have not won the IPL since 2016, will open their 2026 campaign against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Bengaluru on Saturday.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

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