Why did Pat Cummins miss KKR vs SRH match in IPL 2026?
Ishan Kishan is leading SRH against KKR in Pat Cummins’ absence.
Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad are up against each other in match no. 6 of the IPL 2026. This contest is taking place at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on April 2 (Thursday).
Both teams lost their opening matches and are fighting for their first win of the season. Ajinkya Rahane is leading the three-time champions. KKR won the toss and decided to bowl first.
It wasn’t Pat Cummins, who came out for the toss as SRH captain. Ishan Kishan has been the stand-in captain for the 2016 champions. Cummins, who has already joined the squad and started training, has missed the first two matches and is not part of the ongoing clash against KKR.
Why is Pat Cummins absent from SRH’s playing XI vs KKR?
Pat Cummins is a key part of the SRH setup, and individually, his presence in the playing XI gives a great balance. But he is currently not fully fit to feature in a competitive game. Notably, the pacer suffered a lumbar stress back injury last year in July.
However, he made his international comeback during the Ashes 2025-26 and played one test. But after that, he was ruled out as the injury became serious. As a result, he couldn’t take part in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.
He is currently completing his rehab after joining the squad. In the SRH’s opening game against RCB, he was seen sitting in the dugout with the coaching staff. Cummins had a decent last season, where he finished with 16 wickets at an economy rate of 9.06.
The franchise confirmed that he would be missing a few games at the start. Hence, they appointed Ishan Kishan as the stand-in captain and Abhishek Sharma as his deputy. Meanwhile, Cummins is expected to feature in the second leg of the competition, as he gets a green signal over his injury.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (capt & wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Aniket Verma, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, David Payne, Jaydev Unadkat.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ Playing XI: Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Blessing Muzarabani.
Why is Pat Cummins not part of SRH’s playing XI against KKR?
Pat Cummins is still recovering from a back injury, which is why he is not playing.
Who is captaining SRH in the clash against KKR in IPL 2026?
Ishan Kishan is captaining SRH in the encounter.
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Karan Rawat is a seasoned cricket writer with a deep passion for the game and over 5 years of experience covering everything that the game can offer. He loves to share the analysis, match reports, and player profiles and tries to bring stories to life with a unique blend of statistics and storytelling. Whether breaking down Test match tactics or capturing the drama of a T20 thriller, Karan's work connects fans with the soul of the sport.