Pat Cummins hints at skipping IPL 2027 to manage workload before Ashes
Synopsis
Pat Cummins is openly weighing an IPL 2027 exit — and the reason is structural, not personal. With a four-Test India tour, a 150th-anniversary Test, the Ashes and an ODI World Cup stacked into one year, Australia's captain is signalling that franchise cricket is the first thing to fall when the international calendar collides with itself.
Key Takeaways
Pat Cummins has hinted he may skip IPL 2027 to manage workload.
Test cricket and the ODI World Cup remain his stated priorities for the year.
Australia face a four-Test tour of India , the 150th anniversary Test at Melbourne , the Ashes and the ODI World Cup in 2027.
Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc could also be rested during parts of the home season.
Cummins missed the first seven matches of IPL 2026; Ishan Kishan is the likely stand-in captain again.
Australia Test captain Pat Cummins has signalled he may sit out IPL 2027, citing a punishing international calendar that includes a four-Test tour of India, the 150th anniversary Test against England in Melbourne, a full Ashes series and the ODI World Cup in southern Africa. Speaking to Australian daily ‘The Age', the fast bowler said Test cricket and the 50-over World Cup remain his non-negotiable priorities for the year ahead.
What Cummins said
‘Something has got to give at some stage next year, and it's not going to be test matches or an ODI World Cup,' Cummins said. ‘I will make a call a lot closer and work with the franchise to see what makes sense. Things can change. I've had a couple of injuries pop up, so I don't really want to lock in anything.'
The 32-year-old pacer added that any final decision on his availability for the franchise tournament will be taken closer to the event, in consultation with his IPL side.
Why workload is the central issue
Australia's 2027 itinerary is among the most demanding in recent memory. A four-Test series in India early in the year is followed by the marquee Melbourne Test marking 150 years of Test cricket, before the side rolls into a home Ashes summer and then travels for the ODI World Cup.
‘The priorities for me are always the Test matches and that ODI World Cup. I dare say if I play all of India, I need some sort of break before a pretty gruelling Ashes series,' Cummins explained. The skipper has previously battled a recurring back issue that has disrupted parts of his white-ball calendar.
Other Australian quicks may also be rested
Cummins indicated that workload management could extend to senior pacers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc during portions of the home season.
‘It's possible. I think we're fairly open-minded to anything, as we've seen over the last couple of years. I see a world where we're potentially winding some bowlers down, even say at the back end of an Indian series if they don't look like they're going to play, to give them an extra rest ahead of the Ashes,' he said.
IPL backdrop and franchise impact
Cummins missed the opening seven matches of IPL 2026 before returning to lead his franchise to the playoffs. In his absence, Ishan Kishan took over captaincy duties and is reportedly the frontrunner to lead the side again should Cummins opt out of IPL 2027.
‘It's going to be a big push the next 18 months or so, but I think we'll look back on it hopefully and see it as one of the more rewarding periods of our career,' Cummins said. A formal decision on his IPL 2027 participation is expected only after Australia's tour of India.
Point of View
Especially captains, are now treating the IPL as optional rather than obligatory. The economics still pull one way, but the body and the baggy green pull harder — particularly in an Ashes year. Expect franchises to start pricing in availability risk for marquee overseas quicks, and expect more such ‘closer to the date' announcements as the international calendar continues to compress.
NationPress
20 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Pat Cummins play IPL 2027?
Cummins has not ruled himself out but has indicated he may skip IPL 2027 to manage workload. He said the final decision will be taken closer to the tournament, in consultation with his franchise.
Why is Pat Cummins considering missing IPL 2027?
Australia's 2027 calendar includes a four-Test tour of India, the 150th anniversary Test in Melbourne, a home Ashes series and the ODI World Cup. Cummins has said Test cricket and the ODI World Cup are his priorities and that he needs a break before the Ashes.
Who could replace Cummins as captain if he misses IPL 2027?
Ishan Kishan is the frontrunner to lead the franchise again. He captained the side in Cummins' absence during the first seven matches of IPL 2026.
Could other Australian fast bowlers also be rested?
Yes. Cummins indicated that Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc could be wound down during parts of the home season, particularly toward the end of the India series, to ensure they are fresh for the Ashes.
What is the 150th anniversary Test?
It is a special Test match scheduled to be played at Melbourne between Australia and England to mark 150 years since the first-ever Test was played in 1877. It sits within Australia's packed 2027 home calendar.
