Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have announced that World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins will continue as skipper in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Pat Cummins remains captain
32-year-old Australia National Cricket Team pacer Pat Cummins is considered one of the best players in world cricket. Known for his bowling masterclass and tactical brilliance, he has already won a 50-over World Cup and the ICC World Test Championship as captain.
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Seeing his success as skipper of Australia, Sunrisers Hyderabad broke his bank at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction and acquired his services for a whopping INR 20.50 crore.
They appointed him captain for IPL 2024, and under his leadership, SRH played an exceptional brand of cricket and reached the final. However, they could not win the title and lost to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
In the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), there was a significant drop in their performance and they finished at sixth place on the points table.
Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have once again placed their faith in him and Pat Cummins will lead the side in his third consecutive season in IPL 2026.
“PS 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. Pat Cummins | #PlayWithFire,” wrote the 2016 Indian Premier League (IPL) on captain was confirmed.
Pic.TwiTTeR.cOM/FGJN14JJTJ
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) NOveMbeR 17, 2025
Pat Cummins was excluded from the first Ashes Test
Cummins has not been seen in action in competitive cricket since July 2025 as he was sidelined with a lumbar bone stress injury. The injury ruled him out of several matches, including the entire India series and the 2025-2026 Ashes opener.
However, ahead of the first Test, he returned to full-tilt bowling in Perth nets, which was a huge boost for the Australian national cricket team.
In his column for the BBC, the legendary Glenn McGrath said losing Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood for the Perth Test is a huge blow for the Aussies. He stated:
“The first Ashes Test is just a few days away and I’m hearing a lot of talk about the Australian team supposedly being in disarray over selection decisions. Obviously, losing two quality fast bowlers, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, to injury is a huge spanner in the works, especially when Cummins is the captain. But what team wouldn’t suffer if they lost two key players? England were without Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer in the squad for their final Test, against India at The Oval in July.
I wonder what process led to both Cummins and Hazlewood becoming unavailable – Glenn McGrath
Glenn McGrath further said that a lot has changed in modern cricket as the bowlers undergo routine scans and are not asked to push through and play. He stated:
“I do wonder what process has led to both Cummins and Hazlewood not being available for the first Test. It feels like so much has changed in the decision-making around players that backroom staff and people outside the dressing room may have too much influence.
“We didn’t have routine scans. If you weren’t quite at 100% but felt you could carry on and play, then you’ve played. Now there’s a trend to err on the side of caution. If a player feels a niggle, he’s told to rest.”
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