Pat Cummins has been given the green light to return for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL after renewed medical assessments showed his back problem has fully settled. The Australian fast bowler is expected to be fit to bowl without restrictions and will fly back to India on Friday, April 17, to link up with the franchise. Fresh scans were carried out in Sydney on Wednesday, and they confirmed that the stress-related back issue has resolved.
Cummins has not taken part in any competitive cricket since the injury surfaced during the Ashes late last year. That setback also kept him out of the subsequent T20 World Cup, with the priority shifting to rehabilitation so he could be available for the latter part of the IPL season. While he has been sidelined, Ishan Kishan has captained SRH in Cummins’ absence.
Earlier in the tournament, Cummins joined Sunrisers Hyderabad at the start of the campaign and then travelled with the squad to Kolkata for their second match. After that appearance, he returned to Australia for further examinations aimed at clearing the NOC process through Cricket Australia.
Next IPL fixtures for SRH
- Cummins is set to arrive in India on Friday, April 17, to rejoin Sunrisers Hyderabad.
- SRH are scheduled to play Chennai Super Kings at home one day after he joins.
- Sunrisers will then host Delhi Capitals at home on April 21.
With Cummins working his way back into match rhythm, it remains to be seen how quickly he can get fully ready for IPL action. In the meantime, SRH sit fourth in the points standings, having collected two wins and suffered three defeats.
