On Monday, November 17, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) made an official announcement regarding the captaincy for the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) announced that World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins will remain their captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
Pat Cummins will remain captain
32-year-old Australia National Cricket Team fast bowler Pat Cummins is considered one of the best players in world cricket. He is known for his bowling masterclasses and tactical brilliance and has already won the 50-over World Cup and the ICC World Test Championship as captain.
Given his success as Australia captain, Sunrisers Hyderabad broke the bank in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction and acquired his services for Rs 20.50 crore.
He made him the captain for IPL 2024 and under his leadership, SRH played exceptional cricket and made it to the final. However, they could not win the title and lost to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Their performance declined significantly in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and they finished sixth in the points table.
Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have once again reposed faith in him, and Pat Cummins will lead the team for his third consecutive season in IPL 2026.
“PS πΦ Φ·ππ ππ―π―Ϋ§ πΦ½ΦΦ π΅π©πͺπ΄. Pat Cummins | #PlayWithFire,” the 2016 Indian Premier League (IPL) wrote on Twitter, confirming the Australia fast bowler as captain.
– Sunrisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) 17 November 2025
Pat Cummins ruled out of first Ashes test
Cummins has not been seen in action in competitive cricket since July 2025 after he was ruled out with a lumbar stress injury. This injury has ruled him out of several matches, including the entire India series as well as the opening match of the Ashes 2025β26.
However, before the first Test, he returned to bowl at full capacity in the Perth nets, which came as a massive boost for the Australia national cricket team.
In his column for BBC, the great Glenn McGrath said that losing Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood for the Perth Test is a huge blow for the Australian team. He said:
“The first Ashes Test is just a few days away and I am hearing a lot of talk that the Australian team is in a dilemma regarding selection decisions. Obviously, losing two good fast bowlers in Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood to injuries is a big task, doubly so if Cummins is the captain. But which team would not suffer if two key players are lost? England against India at The Oval in July. Ben Stokes and Joffra Archer were not in the team for their last Test.
I wonder about the process that led to both Cummins and Hazlewood becoming unavailable – Glenn McGrath
Glenn McGrath further said that things have changed a lot in modern-day cricket as bowlers have to undergo regular scans and are not asked to step up and play. He said:
“I am surprised at the process that led to both Cummins and Hazlewood being made unavailable for the first Test. It seems that things have changed so much in player decision-making that the backroom staff and people outside the dressing room can have too much influence.
“We didn’t have regular scans. If you weren’t at 100%, but you felt you could go ahead and play, you played. Now the trend is to err on the side of caution. If a player feels any discomfort, he is asked to rest.”
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