SRH's Australian star ruled out of AUS vs IND 2025 series with injury

Australia's ace bowler Pat Cummins is set to miss the upcoming white-ball series against India due to a lower-back injury. The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper will also miss the white-ball matches against New Zealand, and is also at risk of being unable to completely recover in time for the highly anticipated Ashes series against England.

Despite skipping out on the 2025 Champions Trophy owing to workload and niggles, the gruelling set of fixtures that followed did not help Cummins' fitness. The Australian pacer featured in the entirety of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), starred in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against South Africa at Lord's, before featuring in all three Tests against the Men in Maroon to mark the new cycle.

Although he was rested from the white-ball series in the Caribbean, the toll of bowling close to 100 overs after a draining IPL campaign in the subcontinent left its mark. According to Cricket Australia, the right-arm pacer complained of back pain during the break.

Assessment by the medical team, followed by scans, revealed "a level of lumbar bone stress". The injury will require further management, effectively ruling out Cummins in the forthcoming assignments.

"Cummins won't be considered for the upcoming limited-overs series against India (or New Zealand) and will continue his rehabilitation plan with a return to bowling to be determined as part of his Ashes preparation," Cricket Australia's statement read.

There is no alarming, lengthy layoff in store for Cummins, as the physios did not term the injury as a stress fracture, which would have been problematic. Fellow Australian all-rounder Cameron Green was a victim of such an injury and was ruled out for close to six months after having had to undergo surgery.

Australia to host India for three ODIs and five T20Is in October-November 2025

The Men in Yellow have emerged to be a formidable side for the 2026 T20 World Cup after a series of dominant shows against the West Indies and South Africa, of late. Their road to the tournament in the subcontinent will continue with a challenging five-match T20I series against India, scheduled to begin from October 29 onwards.

Before that, the two sides will partake in a three-match ODI series, slated to begin on October 19 in Perth. The 50-over affair is set to feature the return of the veteran pair, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, in national colors following a six-month absence.