The first half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season will see Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) miss the services of Pat Cummins. The team already knew that Cummins would miss the first matches of the season. The team appointed Ishan Kishan as their interim captain because they expected Cummins to miss the opening matches.

Cummins arrived in India earlier today. According to ESPNcricinfo he trained with SRH at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The pacer focused on light sprints and bowled at low intensity inside an empty net. The situation would have provided SRH with major advantages in normal circumstances.

The actual circumstances differ from this situation. In a recent podcast by Business of Sport, Cummins opened up about his injury. The SRH skipper said that he bowls two times every week while his current bowling capacity remains below complete power. The interview took place one week ago at which point Cummins announced his absence from the initial period of IPL 2026.

Cummins said: “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, so hopefully, if nothing goes wrong, (I’ll) play the back half plus the finals.”

The Australia Test and ODI captain suffered his injury in July 2022 and has only participated in one match since that time. The hasty return to his previous condition resulted in another health issue. With a chance to retain the Ashes in the third Test, Cummins returned earlier than planned. The choice he made resulted in negative effects. He missed the entire T20 World Cup 2026 and will also sit out half of the group-stage matches in IPL 2026. Cummins plans to make his return during the playoffs if SRH qualifies for that stage. The best-case scenario remains unchanged at this time.

Also Read | Will Ishan Kishan Become SRH Captain Permanently? Pat Cummins Gives Big Hint

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not published the complete schedule for IPL 2026 at this time. The first 20 matches have received confirmation while the complete schedule will probably be made public before the week ends.

Fast bowler Eshan Malinga has joined SRH according to positive news. The slingy pacer who performed best for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) last IPL season received a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the organization after he achieved 13 wickets during 7 matches with an economy rate of 8.92. Malinga can help cover Cummins’ absence, but whether it will be enough remains uncertain. The team faces two main challenges with his replacement because they must find a new bowler and a leader who can match his abilities.