New Delhi: Australia have suffered a major blow ahead of their upcoming assignments as their pace spearhead and Test skipper Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the limited-overs series against India scheduled in October-November 2025.
The series, which features ODIs and T20Is and is being seen as a crucial phase but the skipper will skip it due to fitness concerns. The right-arm pacer has also withdrawn himself from the T20 series against New Zealand this month. Ahead of the India series, Australia will take on New Zealand in a three-match T20I series starting October 1.
Post that, they will host India for a three-game ODI series between October 19 and 25. The 50-overs series will be followed by five-game T20I series from October 29 to November 8. These series’ take place ahead of the massive Ashes series against England which will begin at Perth On November 21.
‘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,’ read CA’s statement.
Long term decision
Cricket Australia (CA) on Tuesday confirmed that the decision is being taken keeping in mind the long-term workload management of the pacer. Especially with the massive Ashes series around the corner, Australia can’t afford to take any risks when it comes to Cummins’ fitness. The senior pacer has been battling a recurring lower-back stress fracture, an injury that has been with him since number of years.
Cummins first sustained the issue in 2011 during the Sheffield Shield and since then, has faced multiple setbacks over the years, with flare-ups recorded in 2012, 2013, and most recently in September 2023. To ensure his complete recovery, CA has opted for a rehabilitation-first approach rather than risking him in back-to-back white-ball fixtures. His absence means that Australia will have to rely on the services of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.