“Something has got to give”- Pat Cummins likely to skip IPL next year to prioritize Australia for Ashes and ICC World Cup

Pat Cummins captained Australia in ODIs and Test cricket.

Australia and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins has signaled that he might not play in the IPL in 2027, given the heavy workload he might go under for the Australian national team next year. He is set to prioritize Test cricket and the ICC ODI World Cup.

The 33-year-old speedy bowler made his IPL debut in 2014 and has been Sunrisers Hyderabad's captain for the previous three IPL tournaments, earning $1.9 million annually.

However, Australia's schedule for next year includes four Test matches in India in January and February, a 150th anniversary Test against England in Melbourne in March, and a complete Ashes tour before the ODI World Cup in Southern Africa in October and November.

“Something has got to give at some ⁠stage next year, and it’s not going to be Test matches or an ODI World Cup. I will make a call a lot ‌closer and work with the franchise to see what makes sense. Things can change. I’ve had a couple of injuries pop up, so I don’t really want to lock in ‌anything. The priorities for me are always the Test matches and the ODI World Cup. I dare say if I play all of India, I need some ⁠sort of break before a pretty grueling Ashes series,” Cummins stated to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Given his back injury, Cummins played only one Ashes Test last home summer and also skipped the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

Along with Cummins, his fellow Australian pacers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc are also on the wrong side of 30, and the Australia Test and ODI captain said that consideration would also be given to resting the pacers for some part of the New Zealand series at home around the New Year.

“It’s possible. I think we’re ‌fairly open-minded to anything, as we’ve seen over the last couple of ​years. I see a world where we’re potentially winding some bowlers down, even say at the back ⁠end of an Indian series if they don’t look like they’re ⁠going to play, to give them an extra rest ahead of the Ashes. It’s going to be a big ‌push the next 18 months or so, but I think we’ll look back on it hopefully and see it as one of the more rewarding periods of our career,” Cummins added.

Cummins had missed a few matches for SRH in the IPL 2026 because he was not cleared by Cricket Australia to resume playing as he was rehabbing from his back injury. Ishan Kishan captained SRH in place of Cummins before handing over the reins to the Australian when he came back.