The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) camp has received a boost ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, which is scheduled to begin on March 28. SRH captain Pat Cummins is reportedly set to join the team ahead of the season opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Cummins is unavailable for the first few games of the upcoming marquee tournament. The 32-year-old Australian fast bowler is recovering from a long-standing groin strain injury. He has been out of competitive cricket since December 2025 and recently missed the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 due to injury.
Pat Cummins set to reach Bengaluru ahead of SRH’s IPL 2026 opener vs RCB
According to a report in Cricbuzz, Pat Cummins will reach Bengaluru on Tuesday, March 24. Despite joining the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad, Cummins will be unavailable for the opening matches of the tournament.
In the absence of Cummins, Sunrisers Hyderabad has declared Ishan Kishan as its interim captain. He will lead the team during the first few matches. The franchise has also appointed explosive opening batsman Abhishek Sharma as the vice-captain until Cummins returns to competitive cricket.
Ishan recently helped the Indian national cricket team win the T20 World Cup 2026. The wicketkeeper-batsman demonstrated his leadership by guiding Jharkhand to its maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title during the 2025-26 domestic season.
Pat Cummins ready to begin rigorous rehabilitation
After reaching Bengaluru, Pat Cummins will begin a customized rehabilitation program under the close monitoring of the Sunrisers Hyderabad medical team.
The Hyderabad-based franchise is taking a cautious approach to ensure that Cummins fully recovers before he bowls in high-pressure matches in the tournament.
Although Cummins will miss the opening game, he will be a valuable presence in the dugout. He is expected to provide tactical guidance and support to interim captains Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma during the initial phase of IPL 2026.
Ishan Kishan will attend the captains meeting
As interim captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Ishan Kishan will travel to Mumbai to attend the mandatory IPL captains’ meeting on March 25. In the meeting, the captains of all ten franchises will participate in important pre-season discussions regarding the rules and preparations for IPL 2026.
The event will begin at noon with an official promotional photo session featuring all team captains. After these activities, Kishan and the other nine captains will attend an important meeting with senior BCCI officials from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm in Mumbai.
Pat Cummins had previously led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the IPL 2024 final against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He has taken 34 wickets in 30 matches for the franchise at an average of 29.88 and an economy rate of 9.18, with his best bowling performance being 3/19.
SRH will be keen to complete Cummins’ rehabilitation quickly to boost their bowling attack later in the season. In the absence of Pat Cummins, Ishan Malinga is expected to play as the specialist overseas fast bowler in the starting lineup.
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