Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins (PTI Photo) Sunrisers Hyderabad are set to receive an early boost ahead of their eighth match of IPL 2026 against Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, with Pat Cummins set to return after recovering from a back injury. The Australian all-rounder, who has been sidelined since the start of the season, has expressed his desire to return to the field. “I feel excited. I feel like I’ve been watching too much cricket lately without playing, so I’m itching to get there. Yeah, it’s stinging to get there,” Cummins said in a video shared by the franchise on X. In his absence, Ishan Kishan stepped in as captain and led the side through the opening seven matches. Cummins acknowledged the impact of the stand-in captain, praising his energy and tactical awareness while joking about one aspect of his leadership. “The boys were on fire. It was great to watch so I hope I can add something. I think for the most part Ishan was good. I think in terms of bowling he was absolutely terrible. But other than that he was excellent. You know, he cooked, a lot of energy, really good tactical moves, you know, looking from the outside in,” he said. “Obviously he’s a great thinker of the game. And besides, you know, Abhishek out there as well, they’ve been running it and it’s looking pretty smooth. So yeah, when I’m there, I’m sure I’ll lean on those guys as well. But yeah, well done, Ishan, he’s been amazing,” he added. Cummins also reflected on the demands of fast bowling in the IPL, noting how demanding the format can be, while highlighting the strong performances of SRH’s younger bowlers this season. “The IPL is a very tough place for fast bowlers, but I thought all our guys were exceptional. You know, some young guys have come through,” he said. “I think it’s, well, I’ve definitely found it’s really hard to find pace in the IPL. Those guys look like they’ve, you know, hit it straight away. They’ve got a feel for the game. They’re sequencing their variations so far. So, you know, they’re looking like complete players already. It’s not going to be perfect every game, but they’ve had a great start.” Cummins traveled to India before the season but did not feature in the opening matches. He returned to Australia shortly after SRH’s thrilling win over Kolkata Knight Riders on April 2 to undergo a back scan. After passing a fitness test on Friday, the 32-year-old is all set to return to the playing XI and reclaim the captaincy duties from Kishan. Under Kishan’s leadership, SRH have secured four wins from seven matches and are currently fourth in the points table with eight points and a healthy net rate of +0.820. With Cummins back in the mix, the side will look to build on that momentum as the tournament progresses.
