IPL 2025: Pat Cummins to be ruled out for SRH? Veteran provides massive injury update

Australia skipper Pat Cummins confirmed that he is eyeing a return from his ankle injury during the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) season. Pat Cummins said that he will lead the Australian Test squad in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final clash against South Africa in June.

Pat Cummins played through pain during the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy match against India in Sydney. A persistent left ankle issue ruled him out of the Test series in Sri Lanka, though he was already expected to miss it due to the birth of his second child. Cummins was unavailable for the Champions Trophy.

It's Quite a Nice Build-Up for the World Test Championship Final - Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins said that the Indian Premier League is ideal preparation for the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s on June 11. Cummins revealed that he plans to start bowling within a week, aiming to be fully fit for the IPL.

"That's the aim. It's four overs in T20s. So physically it's quite a nice build up for the World Test Championship final, and then the Test matches after that," Cummins told cricket.com.au.

"That's the aim at this stage – start bowling over the next week or so, building up, and should be right for IPL. It's probably just making sure you're still bowling quite a few balls (during the IPL). The good thing about a T20 tournament is the intensity is really high, so that obviously helps quite a bit."

It's Been an Amazing Month or So - Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins said that it's been an amazing month to spend with his family without the demands of training or tour commitments. Reflecting on Australia's Test series against Sri Lanka, Cummins admitted it felt unusual watching the team play on TV after years of being on the field.

"It's been an amazing month or so just having full focus on family time and not having to do too much training or have my eye on a tour. Just being totally present has been really special," Cummins said.

"It was weird watching the Sri Lanka Test series. I haven't seen the boys play on TV really for years. They were fantastic, the boys were basically faultless. I could follow along and just enjoy it really," he added.

The Ankle Is Starting to Come Good - Pat Cummins

The 31-year-old provided an update on his ankle injury, stating that it is gradually improving. Cummins stated that for a fast bowler, returning to full fitness is a gradual process. The Australia captain confirmed that there wasn’t enough time for him to recover in time for the Champions Trophy.

"The ankle is starting to come good," said Cummins.

"It's a funny one – it's not like a hamstring where you need six weeks (to recover). It's one of those ones where it really just needs a bit (more) rest to settle down. I've been doing loads of rehab in the gym and trying to build back up slowly.

"Especially for a fast bowler, you've got to kind of step towards things. Once you have a bit of time off, you’ve got to start running again, and then you got to start bowling, and start building up. So we just ran out of time for Pakistan."

Cummins was Australia's leading wicket-taker in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He took 25 wickets at an average of 21.36. His leadership played a crucial role in Australia's 3-1 series victory. However, Jasprit Bumrah outperformed all bowlers, finishing with 32 wickets at an exceptional average of 13.06.

Also read: Watch: Fakhar Zaman breaks down in tears after being ruled out of ICC Champions Trophy 2025