Sunrisers Hyderabad have received a big boost ahead of their weekend contest against Rajasthan Royals, as their regular captain Pat Cummins is set to play his first game of IPL 2026 on Saturday.
Cummins had arrived in India before the season began but did not feature in any matches. The 32-year-old later returned to Australia after SRH’s win over Kolkata Knight Riders on April 2 to undergo scans on his back.
After clearing his fitness test on Friday, Cummins confirmed that he is ready to return to action and will take the field against Rajasthan Royals.
“Been a long time coming, stinging to get back into it tomorrow,” Cummins shared in a social media post on Instagram, indicating his comeback.
Cummins has not played any competitive cricket since the Ashes series against England at home. He also missed the recent ICC T20 World Cup 2026, where Australia were knocked out in the group stage.
During his absence, SRH tried different combinations in their pace attack and found success with debutants Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain. Both bowlers impressed with four-wicket hauls against Rajasthan Royals earlier this week at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
With Cummins returning, he is expected to take back the captaincy from stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan. Under Kishan’s leadership, SRH have done well, winning four out of seven matches and currently sitting fourth on the points table with eight points and a healthy net run rate.
Cummins is likely to replace Dilshan Madhushanka in the playing XI. Madhushanka has played only one match this season and conceded 36 runs while picking up one wicket in his four overs. Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen and Eshan Malinga are expected to be the other overseas players in the SRH lineup.