Sunrisers Hyderabad Captain Pat Cummins Set to Miss Early IPL 2026 Matches Due to Back Injury

Hyderabad. Sunrisers Hyderabad has suffered a major blow just as the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is about to begin. It has been confirmed that the team's regular captain and Australian fast bowler, Pat Cummins, will miss the initial matches of the season due to a back injury.

Cummins, who has been struggling with a back problem since last July, has started light practice at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore after arriving in India this week, but it appears he will need some more time to become fully fit. Speaking on a podcast, Cummins stated that he is currently in the recovery process and aims to play in the second half of the tournament and the final matches.

He was also ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to the injury. He has not played any competitive cricket since the third Test match of the Ashes last December. He informed that he is currently practicing bowling every three days and plans to take the field around the middle of the tournament.

In Cummins' absence, Indian young batter Ishan Kishan will take over the captaincy of Sunrisers Hyderabad. Kishan has recently proven his leadership skills by leading the Jharkhand team to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in domestic cricket. Cummins has expressed full confidence in Kishan's captaincy.

Hyderabad will start the season with their first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday.