Why will Pat Cummins miss Sri Lanka tour after winning BGT 2024-25 at home?

Pat Cummins led Australia to a 3-1 win in the BGT 2024-25.

Pat Cummins created history by becoming the first Australia captain since Steve Smith in 2014-15 to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). Cummins achieved this milestone at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Sunday, January 5, 2025, when his team defeated India by six wickets in the fifth test to seal the series 3-1.

Cummins led from the front, finishing the series as the second-highest wicket-taker with 25 wickets in five tests at an average of 21.36.

Additionally, he also added useful runs for the hosts with 159 runs at an average of 19.88. His best batting performance came in Melbourne, where he scored 49 and 41 runs in both innings, helping Australia secure a 184-run victory.

The Australian team will now head to Sri Lanka for a two-match test series starting on January 29. They will then participate in the ICC Championship Trophy in February before facing South Africa in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final in June. Australian skipper Pat Cummins, however, will miss the tour of Sri Lanka.

Why will Pat Cummins miss Sri Lanka tour?

Speaking to the media after Australia’s win at the SCG, Cummins said he “likely might struggle” to join the Sri Lankan tour as he awaits the birth of his second child.

Cummins’ absence due to family reasons means vice-captain Steve Smith will lead the side in Sri Lanka. Smith is regarded as one of the sharpest cricketing brains in the Australian cricket team. He boasts an impressive test captaincy record, with 21 wins, 10 losses, and seven draws in 38 games.

Australia’s last two test series in Sri Lanka ended in disappointment, with the Aussies losing 0-3 in 2016 and drawing 1-1 in 2022. Their last bilateral test series win in Sri Lanka came in 2011, when Michael Clarke led them to a 1-0 victory in a three-match series.

The 2023 WTC winners are likely to announce their squad for the Sri Lankan tour in the coming week.

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