Summary of this article
Pat Cummins cleared by Cricket Australia
Scans confirmed his injury is healed
Cummins is expected to play for SRH on April 25
Following weeks of intense speculation regarding his fitness, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins has been officially cleared by Cricket Australia (CA) to continue bowling in IPL 2026.
The decision comes after a series of follow-up scans on his back, which showed the back stress injury keeping him out action is now healed. The news sent ripples of relief through the Hyderabad camp and the Australian national setup.
Cummins revealed through a comment on Instagram that he was due to fly back to India on Friday and was aiming to play for SRH on April 25 against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur.
SRH are currently fourth in the table with two wins from five matches. With Cummins being unavailable, Ishan Kishan has been leading SRH. But the Orange Army did not get off the blocks very quickly.
Amid this, Cummins returning both as a bowler and as a captain will boost the morale and the tactical presence of SRH on field during remainder of IPL 2026.
Pat Cummins' Recurring Back Injury
The concern surrounding Cummins was far from unfounded. The Australian skipper has endured a grueling twelve months, marred by a recurring back injury that severely limited his impact during the most recent Ashes series.
Cummins managed to feature in only the third match of that historic rivalry before the injury forced him into another period of exile. Since then, he has been on a meticulous rehabilitation program designed to preserve his longevity across all formats.
Cummins was diagnosed with lumbar bone stress in August 2025. He initially felt some soreness during the tour of West Indies. But the scans told a different story and Cummins had to focus on his recovery.
Despite initial hopes that Cummins will be ready for the Ashes series and the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, it was not to be. After featuring in a single test in the Ashes, Cummins went through another phase of rehab, eyeing a return for the IPL 2026.
Despite his best efforts, Cummins couldn't feature for SRH in the initial part of the IPL 2026. He joined the squad and continued his rehab separately. He then flew back to Sydney to confirm whether his injury is completely healed.
Thankfully for the SRH fans, the scans showed he was healed and it was enough for CA to give him the clearance. Even then, it is expected that there will be certain workload management guidelines for Cummins and he would not overexert himself, making the situation worse.
Cummins has a huge season upcoming with Australia as the Baggy Greens are set to play at least 20 Tests from August to next July with series against Bangladesh, South Africa, New Zealand, India and England plus the 150th anniversary fixture at the MCG. There could also be the World Test Championship final in June if Australia qualify.
Given the long road in front of him, Cricket Australia is extra careful about his fitness and they have only provided clearance after completion of Cummins' rehab.
