Pat Cummins has received medical clearance to rejoin Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. His latest back scans in Sydney confirmed that his injury has healed, and he is now aiming to return to action later this month.

Cummins, who captains SRH, had started the tournament with the team before travelling back to Australia earlier in April for scheduled follow-up scans.

Injury Recovery Brings Relief

The scans showed that the stress injury in his lower back has fully healed. This injury had limited him to just one match since July last year.

Cummins shared an update informally on social media. Responding to a comment on an Instagram post from his family holiday in the Blue Mountains, he said he would fly back to India on Friday and hopes to play on April 25 against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur.

Long Layoff Due to Back Issue

Cummins was diagnosed with lumbar bone stress in August. He had first felt discomfort during Australia’s tour of the West Indies.

Because of this injury, he played only one match during the home season. That appearance came in the Adelaide Test against England, where he picked up six wickets and helped Australia retain the Ashes.

There were hopes that he would recover in time for the T20 World Cup. He was even named in the initial squad, but the tournament arrived too soon for his recovery. The start of the IPL also came earlier than expected for his return.

SRH Managing Well in His Absence

Despite missing their captain, Sunrisers Hyderabad have performed reasonably well. The team is currently placed fourth on the points table, with two wins from five matches.

They recently suffered a setback after failing to defend a big total of 219 against Punjab Kings, despite scoring 105 runs in the powerplay. However, they quickly bounced back with a strong 57-run win over Rajasthan Royals.

Ishan Kishan Steps Up as Captain

In Cummins’ absence, Ishan Kishan has been leading the side. Head coach Daniel Vettori said that Cummins has remained involved with the team even while recovering.

"We're fortunate enough that Pat has been around the group and he's been able to have conversations with Ishan about his captaincy style," Vettori said earlier in the tournament.

Busy Schedule Ahead for Cummins

Cummins is expected to face a demanding schedule once he returns to full fitness. Australia are set to play at least 20 Test matches between August and next July.

These include series against Bangladesh, South Africa, New Zealand, India, and England, along with a special 150th anniversary Test at the MCG. Australia could also feature in the World Test Championship final in June if they qualify.

Other Fast Bowlers Managing Injuries

Meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood has recently returned to action for Royal Challengers Bengaluru after recovering from injury. He was rested after his comeback match but impressed with figures of 1 for 20 against Lucknow Super Giants.

Another Australian pacer, Mitchell Starc, is yet to join Delhi Capitals. He is still recovering from shoulder and elbow injuries sustained during the Big Bash League.