Pat Cummins will not feature tonight in SRH vs CSK in IPL 2026

Pat Cummins will not play in tonight's SRH vs CSK IPL 2026 match in Hyderabad, after he told a fan on Instagram that he wouldn't be available. That answers the big question hanging over Sunrisers Hyderabad, and it leaves a clear hole in their bowling attack just as the season starts to heat up. Cummins also ruled himself out of SRH's next game against the Delhi Capitals on 21 April, pointing to the 25 April match against the Rajasthan Royals as his likely comeback date. He told a supporter on social media, "Fly back Friday. Aiming for 25th vs RR." Cricket Australia confirmed on 16 April that Pat Cummins is cleared to bowl again after new scans on his back in Sydney showed the stress injury has fully healed. The good news for SRH fans is that he shouldn't be out for a long period. However, being medically cleared and being match-fit are two different things, and the SRH management is smart enough not to rush their captain back too soon.

Why has Pat Cummins been absent, and what does the back injury mean for SRH?

Cummins has barely played since July last year, aside from one Ashes Test in Adelaide, and has only recently started bowling in the nets again. For a fast bowler, being extra careful with a back injury makes sense. Bowling puts a massive amount of pressure on the spine, and returning too early could make the injury much worse. Cummins missed all five of SRH's opening games and, if he returns on 25 April, he will have sat out seven matches in total before bowling his first ball in IPL 2026. SRH's injury list is growing, as England's David Payne is now out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury. This puts even more pressure on a bowling group that is already thin. Earlier, Brydon Carse also went down with a hand injury, leading SRH to bring in Sri Lanka's Dilshan Madushanka. Despite all these setbacks, SRH have stayed surprisingly competitive.

How SRH have coped without their captain ahead of tonight's clash?

SRH picked up their second win of the season recently, beating the Rajasthan Royals by 57 runs in Hyderabad. Debutants Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain were the stars, taking four wickets each in a great performance. Ishan Kishan led the way with the bat, scoring 91 to give the team some real confidence heading into tonight. SRH are currently fourth in the table with two wins and three losses. CSK, on the other hand, have recovered from three straight losses to win their last two games against KKR and Delhi Capitals. They are still in eighth place and desperate for another win. Sanju Samson scored his first big hundred for CSK against Delhi, while Noor Ahmad took 3/21 with some sharp spin against KKR. SRH vs CSK IPL 2026: Final Update On MS Dhoni’s Presence In Chennai’s Playing XI For Tonight’s Clash The pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is usually good for batting once you get in, with the average first-innings score this season around 186. Spinners usually get more help as the game goes on. Without Pat Cummins leading the pace attack, SRH will rely on the young players who stepped up last time, and tonight against CSK, that young group faces a huge test.