Pat Cummins has been cleared to resume bowling without restrictions after undergoing fresh scans on his back in Sydney, clearing the way for his return to the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The latest assessment confirmed that the stress-related back issue, which had restricted him to just one appearance since last August, has fully healed, Cricket Australia said.
The Australian fast bowler is set to fly to India on Friday, where he will rejoin compatriot Travis Head at for the rest of the season. Although the franchise has upcoming home fixtures against and , Cummins is expected to take a cautious route and is likely to target the April 25 clash against in Jaipur as his comeback match.
It remains to be seen if he reclaims captaincy duties from Ishan Kishan, who has been leading the side during his absence. currently sit fourth on the table, part of a tightly packed group of sides with two wins each.
Cummins’ phased return aligns with a carefully structured plan to feature in the latter half of the tournament, including the playoffs, while preparing for a demanding stretch of international Test cricket. Australia could play as many as 21 Tests over the next year, making workload management crucial.
Australia’s packed Test calendar begins in August with a two-match series against Bangladesh in Darwin and Mackay. This will be followed by three Tests in South Africa, four at home against New Zealand, a five-Test tour of India early next year, the historic 150th Anniversary Test at the MCG in March, and potentially the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June, before a five-Test Ashes series.
SRH coach Dan Vettori had earlier praised Cummins’ physical condition. “His fitness has been exceptional because he’s obviously been out of the game for an extended period of time so he’s had that time to work on that fitness, a real block of work around strength and conditioning,” Vettori had said. “It’s obviously a bit of a painstaking process to get the loads up to where he feels confident and strong about bowling.”
