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‘Something has to give’: Australia star Pat Cummins drops bombshell on IPL 2027 future with SRH originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Cummins open to skipping or limiting his IPL 2027 role with Sunrisers Hyderabad.
- Australia's 2027 calendar includes BGT, Ashes, anniversary Test, and World Cup.
- Hazlewood and Starc may also be managed through parts of the home summer.
Pat Cummins hints at skipping IPL 2027 to protect Australia's packed international schedule
Pat Cummins has revealed that he might not join Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2027 IPL as he wants to keep himself fresh for Australia duties.
The pacer has struggled with back problems in the recent past and made it clear that franchise cricket will be the first thing to move when something needs to shift in his schedule.
The Aussies are scheduled to play five Tests in India in January and February next year as part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
That is followed almost immediately by the 150th anniversary Test against England at the MCG in March, a full Ashes tour, and then a potential ICC World Test Championship final to cap the red-ball calendar. On top of all that, the ODI World Cup is set to be held in southern Africa in October and November 2027.
MORE: Have Australia ever won an away ODI series vs Pakistan?
Meanwhile, the 20th edition of the IPL is set to run from March to May. Cummins is acutely aware that stretching himself through a two-month franchise tournament before an Ashes series is a risk he may not be willing to take.
“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.
Despite the obvious scheduling pressure, Cummins has not slammed the door on IPL 2027 entirely. He said he would speak to Sunrisers Hyderabad closer to the time and assess what arrangement makes sense for both parties.
“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,” he said.
"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 gruelling Ashes series,” he said.
MORE: Are Australia playing their B team against Pakistan?
Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc could also be rested by Australia
Cummins also indicated that Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc could be rotated or rested at various points during Australia's home series against New Zealand around the New Year period.
“It's possible. I think we're fairly open-minded to anything, as we’ve seen over the last couple of years,” Cummins said. “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."
MORE: Cricket calendar 2026: Full schedule major cricketing events
Cummins took over the SRH captaincy midway through IPL 2026 from deputy Ishan Kishan and steered the side to the Playoffs.
However, they were knocked out by a stunning 29-ball 97 from Rajasthan Royals teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the Eliminator.
His leadership has been a significant part of the franchise's identity, which makes the uncertainty around his 2027 availability a genuine headache for the Sunrisers ahead of the next IPL cycle.
The Cricket News Opinion: Cummins is making the right call in principle
Fast bowlers have a finite shelf life at the highest level, and asking one of the best in the world to burn through a two-month IPL campaign before back-to-back Ashes and World Cup commitments is simply not sensible. The fact that he has already dealt with injury setbacks makes the case for caution even stronger.
The broader issue this raises is one that the IPL and cricket administrators will need to grapple with more seriously. When the biggest overseas names begin weighing whether the tournament fits into their schedule, it is a sign that the international calendar has become congested and unmanageable.
Players like Cummins, Hazlewood, and Starc are not commodities to be shared between boards and franchises indefinitely. At some point, a structure that actually protects them needs to be built rather than just discussed.
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