Is Pat Cummins playing today? That’s the question every SRH fan has been asking since the IPL 2026 season began, and the answer is finally yes. The Australian skipper has confirmed his availability for the RR vs SRH clash at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday, April 25 — his first appearance of the tournament after a seven-match absence.
Is Pat Cummins Back? What We Know
Cummins took to Instagram on the eve of the match, posting training pictures with the caption, “Been a long time coming, stinging to get back into it tomorrow.” That’s as close to an official confirmation as it gets from the 33-year-old, who has been managing a lumbar bone stress injury sustained during Australia’s tour of the West Indies in July 2025.
The back injury kept Cummins out of the T20 World Cup and restricted him to just one international appearance — a single Ashes Test in December 2025 — across nine months. He linked up with the SRH squad before their IPL 2026 opener against RCB on March 28 but wasn’t cleared to play. He then flew home in early April for final scans, received fitness clearance from Cricket Australia, and returned to India on April 17. Even then, SRH held him back for two more matches — against CSK and DC — to build his workload gradually.
Today’s RR vs SRH fixture marks the end of that long road back.
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How SRH Have Fared Without Cummins
Here’s the remarkable part: Sunrisers haven’t just survived without their captain — they’ve thrived. Under Ishan Kishan’s stand-in captaincy, SRH have won four of seven matches and sit fourth on the points table with eight points and a net run rate of +0.620.
The bowling unit, once dismissed as one of the weakest in the tournament, has exceeded every expectation. Debutants Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain have been revelations — Hinge’s spell of reducing RR to 9/5 in the reverse fixture (Match 21, which SRH won by 57 runs) was one of the standout moments of the season. Eshan Malinga has added genuine sting to the attack with his reverse swing and cutters. The same goes for Sakib Hussain, who has been the most impressive of SRH seamers.
The batting, led by Abhishek Sharma’s extraordinary 135* off 56 balls against Delhi Capitals — the highest individual score of IPL 2026 — has been devastating. Heinrich Klaasen and Travis Head continue to provide the firepower SRH’s brand of cricket demands.
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What Cummins Brings To The RR vs SRH Contest
Cummins’ return isn’t just about adding a quality seamer to the attack. His IPL captaincy record with SRH stands at 15 wins from 30 matches, including leading the franchise to the 2024 final. He was retained for ₹18 crore ahead of this season — a clear signal of the franchise’s faith in his leadership.
The big tactical question is who makes way. Reports suggest Liam Livingstone, who has struggled with both bat and ball this season, is the most likely player to be dropped, keeping the overseas combination of Cummins, Head, Klaasen and Malinga intact.
Whether Cummins captains or whether Ishan Kishan continues in the role is another talking point. Given Kishan’s excellent record and Cummins’ workload concerns — he’s played just one competitive match in nine months — a shared leadership arrangement wouldn’t be surprising.
The RR Challenge In Jaipur
Rajasthan Royals enter this match second on the points table with five wins from seven. This is their first home game in Jaipur this season after three matches in Guwahati. Yashasvi Jaiswal (245 runs) and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (strike rate above 220) form arguably the most dangerous opening pair in the tournament. Jofra Archer and Ravi Bishnoi have shared 22 wickets between them.
But SRH hold a 12-9 head-to-head advantage in IPL history, and the memory of that 57-run demolition from Match 21 will linger in the RR dressing room.
With Pat Cummins back in the fold, the Sawai Mansingh Stadium is set for one of the most anticipated clashes of IPL 2026. The match begins at 7:30 PM IST.
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