Why Pat Cummins Did Not Attend the IPL 2026 Captains Photoshoot?

With the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League just days away, anticipation among fans is at an all-time high. As part of the pre-tournament build-up, the IPL 2026 captains photoshoot was held today at 12:30 PM IST. This event was scheduled in Mumbai, where skippers from all franchises gathered for the photoshoot. However, one notable absence quickly caught everyone’s attention, and that is Pat Cummins, who was missing during the shoot. This has left fans wondering about the reason behind his absence. In this article, we have covered the reason behind his absence.

Why Pat Cummins Did Not Attend the IPL 2026 Captains Photoshoot?

The absence of one of the best cricket captains in IPL, Pat Cummins, from the IPL 2026 captains' photoshoot is due to his unavailability for the initial stages of the tournament. Sunrisers Hyderabad recently confirmed that the Australian star will miss the opening matches of the 2026 season as he continues to recover from a lingering back injury.

In his absence, Ishan Kishan has been appointed as the stand-in captain for SRH. Although it has been reported that Cummins has already arrived in India. That's why fans were expecting Pat Cummins in IPL Photoshoot. However, he chose to have proper rest so that he could get match-ready as soon as possible.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Under Pat Cummins Captaincy

Under the leadership of Pat Cummins, Sunrisers Hyderabad underwent a complete transformation that redefined the franchise’s approach to T20 cricket. Moving away from a traditionally cautious mindset, he fostered an aggressive, fearless brand of cricket where the team regularly targeted record-breaking totals of 250-plus.

This bold strategy delivered outstanding results in 2024, as one of the most dangerous teams in IPL, SRH broke the record for the highest IPL total twice, including a landmark 287/3, the highest score in IPL history at the time. By backing young Indian talents like Abhishek Sharma and Nitish Kumar Reddy, Cummins helped remove the fear of failure and built a side that rose from finishing 10th in 2023 to becoming the 2024 runners-up and was among the top contenders in the 2025 season.