Pat Cummins of Sunrisers Hyderabad (PTI Image)
Sunrisers Hyderabad are set to get a timely boost ahead of the 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, expressed his desire to return to the field.
“I’m feeling excited. I feel like I’ve watched a lot of cricket lately without playing, so I’m just desperate to get out of there. Yeah, it hurts to get out of there,” Cummins said in a video shared by the series on X. During his absence, Ishan Kishan took over as captain and led the team through the first seven matches. Cummins acknowledged the influence of the stand-in captain, praising his energy and tactical awareness, while also joking about one aspect of his leadership. “The boys were brilliant. It was great to watch, so hopefully I can add something. I think Ishaan was good for the most part. I think when it came to throws, he was absolutely terrible. But outside of that, he was excellent. You know, he was brewing, a lot of energy, really good tactical moves, you know, looking from the outside in,” he said. “He’s obviously a great thinker of the game. And with Abhishek there as well, they were running it, and it looked very smooth.”
So, yeah, when I’m there, I’m sure I’ll be counting on those guys too. “But yeah, well done Ishaan, it was amazing,” he added. Cummins also reflected the demands of fast bowling in
IPL
noting how challenging the format can be while highlighting the strong performances by SRH’s younger bowlers this season. “The IPL is a very tough place for fast bowlers, but I think all our guys have been exceptional.
“You know, a few young people have come.” “I think it’s, well, I’ve definitely found it really difficult to find the IPL pace. These guys seem to have got it right away. They’ve got a feel for the game. They’re sequencing their variations brilliantly so far. So, you know, they’re already looking like complete players. It’s not going to happen perfectly in every game, but they’ve had a great start,” he added. Cummins traveled to India ahead of the season but did not feature in the initial matches. He returned to Australia soon after SRH’s thrilling win over Kolkata Knight Riders on April 2 to undergo scans on his back. After passing a fitness test on Friday, the 32-year-old is set to rejoin the starting XI and take back the captaincy duties from Kishan. Under Kishan, SRH have registered four wins from seven matches and currently stand fourth on the points table with eight points and a healthy net run rate of +0.820. With Cummins back in the mix, the team will look to build on this momentum as the tournament progresses.