Australia captain Pat Cummins shared his disappointment over missing the T20 World Cup 2026, admitting the setback was hard to accept and reflecting on the circumstances behind his absence.

Pat Cummins (Image | ICC)
Last Updated: 07.25 PM, Feb 03, 2026
Australia's captain Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. Cummins sustained a back injury and has been on his recovery journey. His exclusion from the team is a huge loss for Australia as he is an incredible bowler and does provide some relief with the bat as well.
Cummins opened up on his exclusion as a minor setback and is hoping to make a comeback in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, set to start on March 26. The Australian skipper is currently in rehabiliation where he is working on his back.
"We'll just be guided by my back," he told AAP. "We'll have another scan in a few weeks, and if it's good, then we'll have a slow build-up. T20s are a little bit easier to get up for, that's why I was so close to getting up for this World Cup."
Another Australian talented pacer Josh Hazlewood is set to miss the first few matches of the T20 World Cup 2026. He hasn't recovered from his injury yet and is going through the recovery phase. Instead of him, Cricket Australia have announced Sean Abbott as the travel reserve for the marquee event.
Australia squad for T20 World Cup 2026: Mitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa, Sean Abbott (travelling reserve).
Cricket fans in India can watch the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 matches from February 7 online on JioHotstar, via OTTplay Premium.