IPL 2026: Pat Cummins Returns as SRH Eye Sixth Straight Win Over RR

Pat Cummins is back.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad captain posted on Instagram just one day before his side's clash against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, writing: "Been a long time coming, stinging to get back into it tomorrow."

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) won the toss and decided to bowl first against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Saturday.

For SRH, the timing could not be better.

Both sides arrive at this fixture on the back of wins and will be eager to keep their momentum intact.

Rajasthan Royals sit third in the standings with five wins from seven games, while Sunrisers Hyderabad are fourth with eight points. A victory tonight would take the Royals to second on the table.

Cummins' absence had been felt in SRH's first four games, where the pace attack looked unidimensional without him.

The team has since added variety and youth to its pace line-up, meaning Cummins does not walk back into a unit in need of rescue, but one that simply needs strengthening.

Although Ishan Kishan has done a commendable job as stand-in skipper, Cummins will now take over the captaincy at a crucial juncture, with exactly half of the league-stage games still remaining for the side.

Will Rajasthan Royals' Form Be Enough to End SRH's Streak?

Rajasthan, on the other hand, are enjoying a strong run driven by top-order batting and disciplined bowling.

Their most recent outing saw them seal a 40-run win over Lucknow Super Giants, bouncing back after back-to-back losses against Sunrisers and Kolkata Knight Riders.

If Cummins' return was not cause enough for optimism at SRH, the opposition they face tonight is.

The Sunrisers carry a 5-0 winning streak over Rajasthan Royals in the IPL since the 2023 season. It was also this very fixture, played less than two weeks ago, where their campaign truly turned a corner.

Sakib Hussain, who made his debut that evening, has since become a consistent operator at the back end of innings.

Praful Hinge's bouncer to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi that night served as a sharp reminder of his ability to surprise.

The pitch in Jaipur is expected to favour batters, particularly under the scorching April conditions typical of the venue.

Lineups

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora(wk), Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins(c), Shivang Kumar, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge, Eshan Malinga.

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(wk), Riyan Parag(c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma.