SRH skipper Pat Cummins puts Tests and World Cup ahead of T20 league commitments

Citing a grueling 18-month window featuring the Ashes and ODI World Cup, Pat Cummins hints at skipping the 2027 IPL season to prioritize national duties

Sydney: Australia captain Pat Cummins has indicated that he could sit out the 2027 Indian Premier League (IPL) season to manage his workload during what promises to be a grueling period for Australian cricket.

Australia are scheduled for a high-profile four-Test tour of India at the start of next year before playing in the 150th anniversary Test against England in Melbourne. The team will then head directly into a demanding away Ashes campaign, followed by the ODI World Cup in southern Africa later in the year.

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Speaking to Australian daily The Age, Cummins said the team’s packed schedule next year would force him to make difficult choices. While no final decision has been made regarding his availability for the IPL, he noted that Test cricket and the ODI World Cup remain his topmost priorities and that discussions with his franchise will take place closer to the event.

“Something has got to give at some stage next year, and it’s not going to be Test matches or an ODI World Cup,” Cummins said. “I will make a call a lot closer and work with the franchise to see what makes sense. Things can change. I’ve had a couple of injuries pop up, so I don’t really want to lock in anything.”

The premier fast bowler stressed that representing his country in the longest format and the 50-over showcase would always take precedence over franchise commitments.

“The priorities for me are always the Test matches and that ODI World Cup. I dare say if I play all of India, I need some sort of break before a pretty grueling Ashes series,” Cummins explained.

Cummins has previously dealt with injury concerns, including a recurring back issue that interrupted parts of his international career. The Australian skipper also suggested that workload management could extend to fellow senior quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood during parts of Australia’s upcoming cycles.

“It’s possible. I think we’re fairly open-minded to anything, as we’ve seen over the last couple of years. I see a world where we’re potentially winding some bowlers down, even say at the back end of an Indian series if they don’t look like they’re going to play, to give them an extra rest ahead of the Ashes,” Cummins said.

Despite the demanding calendar, Cummins believes the upcoming stretch could become one of the defining chapters for this current Australian side.

“It’s going to be a big push the next 18 months or so, but I think we’ll look back on it hopefully and see it as one of the more rewarding periods of our career,” he said.

Cummins missed the opening seven matches of IPL 2026 before returning to lead Sunrisers Hyderabad to the playoffs. Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who successfully took over the leadership duties in his absence, remains the frontrunner to replace him as captain should the Australian great opt out of the 2027 season.