Aussies captain Cummins plots grand return in IPL 2025, eyes WTC final

Australian Test captain Pat Cummins is setting his sights on the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) as the perfect stage for his return from an ankle injury. The fast-bowling ace, sidelined for months, remains confident of regaining full fitness in time for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa at Lord’s on June 11.  Check Afghanistan vs South Africa live score, match updates and full scorecard here | Champions Trophy 2025

 

Cummins, who led Australia to their first Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph in over a decade, fought through pain during the final Test against India in Sydney. However, his resilience came at a cost, ruling him out of Australia’s two-Test series in Sri Lanka and the ongoing Champions Trophy in Pakistan. 

 

 

A special time away from the game

  The 31-year-old’s injury layoff coincided with a deeply personal milestone—the birth of his second child, daughter Edi. Reflecting on his time away from cricket, Cummins spoke about the rare opportunity to immerse himself in family life.

 

"It's been an amazing month or so, just focusing entirely on family and not having to worry about training or an upcoming tour. Being completely present has been really special," Cummins told cricket.com.au.

 

IPL: The perfect comeback stage 

Cummins has now resumed running and is gearing up for his return with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), last season’s IPL runners-up. With the tournament kicking off on March 22, he aims to hit the ground running in SRH’s opening clash against Rajasthan Royals on March 23.

 

"That’s the goal—start bowling in the next week or so, build up gradually, and be ready for IPL," Cummins said.

 

He views the fast-paced nature of T20 cricket as an ideal lead-up to Test match intensity. "The good thing about the IPL is that the intensity is really high, which helps quite a bit in getting back to full match fitness." 

Pat Cummins batting & fielding Stats
Year	Mat	No	Runs	HS	Avg	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	CT
Career	58	15	515	66*	19.81	344	149.71	0	3	33	34	15
2024	16	4	136	35*	22.67	95	143.16	0	0	9	8	7
2022	5	1	63	56*	15.75	24	262.5	0	1	5	6	1
2021	7	2	93	66*	31	56	166.07	0	1	5	8	2
2020	14	4	146	53*	20.85	114	128.07	0	1	9	8	3
2017	12	4	77	24	15.4	53	145.28	0	0	5	4	1
2015	3	0	0	0*	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1
2014	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

 

Pat Cummins bowling stats
Year	Mat	Balls	Runs	WKTS	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4W
Career	58	1319	1923	63	4/34	30.52	8.75	20.94	1
2024	16	366	566	18	3/43	31.44	9.28	20.33	0
2022	5	119	212	7	3/22	30.29	10.69	17	0
2021	7	161	237	9	3/24	26.33	8.83	17.88	0
2020	14	312	409	12	4/34	34.08	7.86	26	1
2017	12	277	373	15	2/20	24.86	8.07	18.46	0
2015	3	60	97	1	1/54	97	9.7	60	0
2014	1	24	29	1	1/29	29	7.25	24	0

  WTC final and beyond: Cummins’ calculated approach

  With the WTC final looming large, followed by a three-Test series in the Caribbean, Cummins knows his workload management will be key.

 

"The ankle is improving... It's not like a hamstring injury that needs a strict six-week recovery. It just needs a little more rest to settle down," he explained. "I've been doing plenty of rehab in the gym and slowly building back up."

 

For a fast bowler, he acknowledged, the return to action requires careful progression. "Once you have time off, you need to start running again, then bowling, then gradually increasing the intensity. It’s a process."

 

Long-term outlook: A race against time 

While Cummins admitted that his ankle issue isn’t new, he dismissed concerns of it becoming a chronic problem.

 

"It’s one of those injuries that just needs to be managed. A bit of a break now should set me up well for the next year or so," he said.

 

With the IPL serving as a stepping stone, Cummins is optimistic about peaking at the right time. "It’s just four overs per game in T20s, so it’s a good way to build up for the World Test Championship final and the Test series that follows."