He took two hat-tricks in the T20 World Cup 2024.
The ongoing struggles due to a back injury mean the Australia squad takes another hit as Pat Cummins, the pace spearhead, has been officially ruled out of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. While the focus stays on squad changes a week before the ICC event, questions are being raised over his IPL 2026 participation for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
The absence of Pat Cummins ends months of cautious hope from Cricket Australia, which had originally included him in the 15-member squad, hoping he could recover in time. However, even with encouraging scans in December, when he played the third Test of the Ashes 2025, the fast bowler requires “more time” to heal from a lumbar stress injury that has persisted for over six months.
Cummins has not played since the Adelaide Test against England in mid-December. That was his only match since July, when the injury first appeared. He was sidelined right after that Test with the Ashes 2025 secured, allowing him to prepare for the T20 World Cup 2026. Nonetheless, that plan is now off the table.
Australia T20 World Cup 2026 Preview and Prediction
The decision has opened the way for Sydney Sixers left-armer Ben Dwarshuis, who is now part of the final Australia T20 World Cup 2026 squad. Matthew Short has been dropped due to poor form and balance issues, while Matthew Renshaw has been included on the back of his strong domestic and BBL 2025-26 performances.
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From the IPL 2026 perspective, the fitness news of Pat Cummins will be closely watched by Sunrisers Hyderabad. Cummins is the key to SRH’s IPL 2026 prospects, not just as a bowler but also as a captain. While the IPL 2026 is still two months away, Pat Cummins is likely to be fit for the tournament. However, this raises doubts about whether SRH will have him for the entire season or if they will need to manage his workload carefully.
With the IPL 2026 happening soon after the T20 World Cup 2026, SRH might have to make backup plans. They may need to rotate Cummins, rest him for a few games, or lean more on their Indian pace options during the IPL 2026.
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