SRH suffer huge blow just as Pat Cummins recovers, star pacer ruled out of IPL 2026

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has suffered a massive blow ahead of their big IPL 2026 game against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 18 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. SRH is already struggling in the league, and now they have lost a key bowler to injury.

SRH’s regular captain and leader of their pace attack, Pat Cummins, has been cleared to play in the ongoing IPL 2026 following the latest scan in Sydney. Cummins is expected to play his first game of this season on April 25 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Jaipur.

SRH in trouble as David Payne’s IPL 2026 season ends midway

However, at the same time, Sunrisers Hyderabad will have to find a fresh replacement to cover for the England fast bowler David Payne. He had joined the SRH squad as a replacement for injured Australian all-rounder Jack Edwards and played the first two matches for them.

Read Also: Watch: Mukul Choudhary lives his dream by meeting Virat Kohli, video breaks the internet

Payne was picked by the franchise after a strong Big Bash League (BBL) season, where he took 11 wickets in 6 matches for Perth Scorchers. But in the IPL 2026, the Englishman failed to make a big impact before getting ruled out of the tournament.

Sadly, David Payne has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing IPL 2026. The left-arm pacer suffered an ankle injury, which has now ended his campaign midway. Sunrisers Hyderabad has confirmed the setback through an official statement on social media.

SRH posted on X: “OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: David Payne has been ruled out of TATA IPL 2026 after sustaining an ankle injury. Wishing him a speedy recovery 🧡.”

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

David Payne has been ruled out of TATA IPL 2026 after sustaining an ankle injury.

Wishing him a speedy recovery 🧡 pic.twitter.com/aKjJ9lvl6R

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) April 16, 2026

Payne's struggles; SRH injury woes continue amid mixed IPL 2026

Meanwhile, the left-arm fast bowler had a decent outing as an impact player against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as he picked up 2 wickets while giving away 35 runs in 3 overs. But Payne failed badly against the KKR, as he went wicketless and gave away 35 runs in just 2 overs.

Well, Sunrisers Hyderabad have not yet announced any replacement for Payne. But this is not the first setback for the franchise this season. Earlier, England all-rounder Brydon Carse was also ruled out due to a hand injury. SRH brought in Sri Lankan fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka as his replacement.

Read Also: Rishabh Pant out of IPL 2026! Shocking verdict dropped by Ex-BCCI selector

Speaking about the Hyderabad team’s performance this season, they had a mixed campaign so far under Ishan Kishan’s captaincy. Ishan has been leading the side in Cummins’ absence. SRH are currently fourth in the IPL 2026 points table with two wins from five matches so far.

SRH superfan goes viral after getting massive tattoo

Well, a 26-year-old die-hard fan of Sunrisers Hyderabad has taken his love for the team to another level. Kandukuri Dharma Rakshith, founder of the Orange Army Fan Club, has shown his passion in a very unique way as he got a huge tattoo of the SRH logo on his arm.

Rakshith was quoted as saying by Telangana Today, "From 2013 to 2026, my journey with SRH has been long-lasting. SRH has become an inseparable part of my life. To honor this 13-year journey and emotional connection, I decided to get a tattoo, a permanent memory of my passion and loyalty.”