Pat Cummins Arrives in Hyderabad for IPL 2026 Match Against CSK
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Hyderabad, April 18 (NationPress) The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have received a significant boost ahead of their forthcoming encounter in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against the five-time champions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, with their appointed captain, Pat Cummins, having arrived in the city.
In a recent Instagram Story, Cummins was seen with his family enjoying a meal at a local restaurant, captioning it with, 'Happy to be back in Hyderabad.' Despite his early arrival, he will not participate in the match.
Although Cummins had flown to India before the season commenced, he missed the match following SRH’s thrilling victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on April 2, as he returned to Australia for a back scan.
The Australian Test captain successfully passed a fitness test on Friday and is aiming to make his season debut on April 25, when SRH is set to clash with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Jaipur.
The veteran pacer has not played since the Ashes series against England at home, and he also missed the recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup 2026, where Australia faced an early exit from the group stage.
During his absence, SRH experimented with their bowling lineup, achieving success with debutant fast bowlers Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain, both of whom took four wickets against RR at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium earlier this week.
Until Cummins returns, Ishan Kishan is leading the team. Under Kishan’s captaincy, SRH has secured two victories out of five matches this season, currently sitting in fourth place on the points table with a net run rate of +0.576.
While SRH's season has been somewhat erratic, they have managed crucial wins against KKR and RR. With the home advantage, SRH aims to capitalize on these positives and secure two essential points against CSK.