SRH Get Captain Back: Cummins Returns for Business End
Pat Cummins has confirmed he’ll play for Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals on Saturday, April 25 in Jaipur. He posted on Instagram: “Been a long time coming, stinging to get back into it tomorrow.
Injury: Lumbar stress injury/back issue that sidelined him since July 2025.Missed games: Played only 1 Ashes Test in 2025-26, missed T20 World Cup 2026.IPL 2026: Joined SRH camp but missed first 6-7 games. Flew back to Australia April 2 for scans, cleared by Cricket Australia last week.
Captaincy SituationStand-in: Ishan Kishan has been leading SRH in Cummins’ absence, with Abhishek Sharma as vice-captain. SRH form: 4 wins from 7 matches, 4th on points table with 8 points. Takeover: Cummins “will take over captaincy from Ishan Kishan”. He’s expected to replace Dilshan Madhushanka in the XI.
Some former players think Kishan should continue as captain even after Cummins returns. Bangar said Kishan’s been “tactically very good” and retaining him gives “continuity”. But SRH had announced Cummins as captain for a 3rd straight season, and he’s set to resume the role.
Bowling boost: Cummins took 18 wickets in 2024, 16 in 2025. Adds experience to an attack of rookies Praful Hinge & Sakib Hussain who both took 4-fers vs RR earlier. Leadership: Coach Daniel Vettori confirmed “the plan is for the 25th” for Cummins to return to the XI. Timing: Comes as IPL hits halfway mark. SRH are 4th and pushing for playoffs.
If Cummins' addition didn't delight SRH enough, the prospect of facing RR gives them another reason to smile. Not only do they have a 5-0 winning streak over RR in the IPL since the 2023 season, this was also the fixture less than two weeks ago where their campaign turned a corner.
Sakib Hussain, who made his debut that evening, has since become a consistent operator in back-end of innings, while Praful Hinge's bouncer to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi that evening is a reminder of his ability to surprise. Eshan Malinga's form, and the red-hot pair of Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen only make them stronger.
RR captain Riyan Parag is averaging 13.50 in seven outings this season and his inability to stamp his authority on the batting line-up has stopped RR from asserting themselves after the top three are gone. Parag has recently admitted that "he's going through a tough phase", and RR being comfortably placed in the top four has papered over some of the worries, but a a lean patch from an underperforming captain makes for some difficult conversations in the dressing room. It's the kind of situation that can derail a campaign and that's the last thing Parag or RR would want.
Bottom line: After 7 games out with a back injury, Cummins is fit and will play vs RR on April 25, reclaiming SRH captaincy from Ishan Kishan. His return gives SRH their full-time leader and strike bowler for the crucial second half of IPL 2026.
Last season, the average first-innings score was 198 - one of the highest of any IPL venue in 2025. Yet chasing sides won four of the seven matches. The big square boundaries make for an interesting equation when facing spinners. It will be a hot afternoon, but the temperatures will drop to mid 30s by the evening.
