Pat Cummins has been given the medical all-clear by Cricket Australia to rejoin Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2026, while Chennai Super Kings have lost key pacer Khaleel Ahmed for the remainder of the tournament with a quadriceps injury. One franchise gets stronger, the other gets a significant problem at the worst possible time.
Cummins flew back to India on Friday after fresh scans on his back in Sydney confirmed that the lumbar stress injury, which had kept him out of professional cricket since last August has fully resolved. Cricket Australia confirmed on their website that the OZ skipper has been cleared to resume bowling without any restrictions. The SRH captain had originally been ruled out of SRH's opening games due to the injury, with Ishan Kishan stepping in as interim captain.
Cummins Will Return, But Not Immediately
Despite arriving in India on Friday, Cummins will not be available for SRH's next two home matches, against Chennai Super Kings on April 18 and Delhi Capitals on April 21. The Hyderabad-based is taking a cautious approach to his reintegration, with his return to the playing XI currently targeted for April 25 against the Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur. Indian Wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan has led SRH to 2 wins in 5 matches during Cummins' absence, with the side currently sitting fourth in the points table. The Australian fast bowler is all set to resume captaincy once he is fit to play. It is worth mentioning that SRH have had their own injury concerns beyond Cummins. Seamer David Payne has been ruled out for the season with an ankle injury after playing just 2 matches. He had himself come in as a replacement for Jack Edwards, who was already sidelined with a foot injury. Before that, Brydon Carse was ruled out before playing a single game, prompting the signing of Dilshan Madushanka as cover. SRH have navigated a massive injury crisis to stay in the top four and Cummins' return now gives them a major boost heading into the back half of the league stage.
CSK's Bowling Attack Takes Another Hit
On the other hand, CSK's situation is deteriorating. Khaleel Ahmed, who had played all 5 of CSK's matches this season, felt pain in his right hip during the game against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 14. Subsequent scans confirmed a right quadriceps injury and the franchise confirmed that the left-arm fast bowler has been ruled out of IPL 2026 entirely. CSK posted a statement confirming the news and wishing Khaleel a speedy recovery.
This is CSK's second significant pace bowling loss of the season. Australian pacer Nathan Ellis was ruled out before the tournament began. Khaleel's absence now leaves a considerable gap in their attack at a stage when the side had finally started finding some rhythm in their bowling combinations. Mukesh Choudhary is available in the squad as a left-arm seam option, but the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led team is also actively scouting for reinforcements. Akash Madhwal, Chetan Sakariya and Simarjeet Singh are among the top contenders being considered as a like-for-like replacement for Khaleel Ahmed.
Furthermore, Spencer Johnson, Ellis' original replacement is still awaiting his final NOC from Cricket Australia and is expected to join the squad on April 18 or 19. The Oz fast bowler has not played professional cricket since last April due to his own back injury, which adds another layer of uncertainty around his immediate availability and form. If he clears the NOC process in time, he could be in contention for selection for CSK's match against the Mumbai Indians on April 23.
Other than that, CSK currently sit eighth in the IPL 2026 points table with 4 points from 5 matches- 3 wins and 2 losses. The table position is not alarming yet, but losing a frontline pacer mid-season with the bowling attack already thin is the last thing Ruturaj Gaikwad's side needed. The next couple of weeks will definitely gonna test CSK's squad depth more than any other period of their season so far.