The Australian selectors have announced the 17-man squad for the T20I series against Pakistan, set to take place from January 29 to February 1. 5 players from Australia’s 2026 T20 World Cup squad are missing and need more time to recover and get match fit. The biggest news of them is that Pat Cummins ruled out of T20 World Cup, and his participation in the tournament is not confirmed. Tim David (Hamstring) and Josh Hazlewood (Hamstring and Achilles) are still on their way to recovery, while the names of Glenn Maxwell and Nathan Ellis are also missing from the squad. Let’s take a look at Cummins’ injury status as he hopes to join the Australia squad for T20 World Cup.
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Current State of Pat Cummins’ Injury Recovery
Following the Test series against West Indies in July 2025, Pat Cummins was diagnosed with a lumbar stress injury. He was then ruled out of action for the next few months and was expected to get fit for the 2025-26 Ashes series against England. However, Cummins played his first and only game in Adelaide from December 17-21, which was the third fixture of the series. He impressed with his performance, picking six wickets and contributing to Australia’s 82-run victory. To manage his workload and not jeopardise his long-term plan, the 32-year-old was advised to miss the rest of the series.
Tim David and Josh Hazlewood are locked in and ready to fire from Game 1, but Pat Cummins will miss the first couple of games in T20 World Cup 2026 🇦🇺🏆🏏 pic.twitter.com/KkRcOFO9Js
— CricketGully (@thecricketgully) January 20, 2026
Now, Pat Cummins ruled out of T20 World Cup, can’t be ruled out, as the chair of selectors, George Bailey, doesn’t seem confident enough of the pacer’s availability for the marquee event. Earlier this month, Bailey had insinuated that Cummins might make a late entry in the Super Eights, and all games in Sri Lanka during the first round might help them play with different bowling combinations. The squad has the presence of four spinners: Adam Zampa, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, and Cooper Connolly.
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According to George Bailey, they are hoping that Pat Cummins might join the Australia squad for T20 World Cup after recovering from his injury. If not, he is expected to name a replacement in the latter part of January. With Mitchell Starc already retired from T20Is and Josh Hazlewood’s struggles to get fully fit, the Australian pace bowling unit is looking thin. Notably, Sean Abbott and Ben Dwarshuis could be announced as the replacement for Pat Cummins for the T20 World Cup. The duo will look to produce their finest performances in Pakistan to punch their ticket to the global tournament.
Should SRH Be Concerned about Pat Cummins’ Injury?
Pat Cummins is currently the skipper of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Under his leadership, SRH qualified for the playoffs in the 2024 edition and eventually emerged as the runner-up. During the same season, the franchise posted the highest-ever tournament total of 287.
Related Article：Experts Got It Wrong! 2026 SRH Retention List Keeps Key Players
Although SRH didn’t progress to the playoffs in 2025, their mentality and mindset remained the same, which could be credited to Cummins’ clear approach and him giving license to his batters to play their natural game. Meanwhile, the right-arm pacer has done well for SRH in the last two seasons, picking 34 wickets in 30 games. He has been a key partnership breaker and can be useful with the bat in the lower order with his ball-striking abilities.
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The news of Pat Cummins ruled out of T20 World Cup is certainly a big blow to the SRH team management and the fans. Although the injury is not serious, the aggressive rehab program could be used to fast-track his recovery. Along with his leadership skills, Pat Cummins is a boon to the franchise with his skills with the ball and the bat. His absence will also result in SRH choosing a different captain, which could affect the team combinations and how the players react to situations in crunch moments. With Mohammad Shami traded to the Lucknow Super Giants, the Hyderabad-based franchise will certainly require the presence of an experienced pacer like Cummins.
📰 | MLC 2026
Pat Cummins confirms he won’t feature in the MLC this year. The Australian captain, however, will be available for IPL 2026.#MLC2026 pic.twitter.com/2sPbHBxyMT
— T20 Franchise Rosters (Men) (@t20tracker) January 20, 2026
Currently, SRH has the presence of Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, and Eshan Malinga as their key pace bowling options, which don’t exude enough confidence in terms of their wicket-taking skills. Furthermore, in case of a collapse in the top order, Pat Cummins can be helpful with his contributions with the bat. He can resurrect the team’s innings and also provide some lusty hits for a final flourish.
Conclusion
Despite not being able to join the Australia squad for T20 World Cup on time, Pat Cummins is likely to take part in the IPL and help SRH reach the playoffs once again.
