Pat Cummins has begun bowling again as he gears up for the upcoming IPL season and prepares for Australia’s World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa in June.

The Australian Test and ODI captain was ruled out of the ongoing Champions Trophy due to an ankle injury sustained during the Test series against India. However, speaking to ESPNcricinfo on Wednesday, he confirmed he was set for his first bowling session since beginning rehabilitation.

“The ankle is feeling strong. I’ve been able to give it some proper rest and gradually build up, which is rare when you’re playing consistently,” Cummins said. “It feels as strong as it has in a long time. The plan is to be ready for the IPL, so I’ll spend the next few weeks building up my bowling workload and hopefully won’t have to worry about it moving forward.”

Cummins, who is also an ambassador for Prime—Australia’s exclusive broadcaster for the Champions Trophy—revealed that his ankle issue worsened during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

“It’s something we’ve always opted against surgery for, relying instead on rehab,” he explained. “This break allowed me to get a couple of cortisone injections and properly rehab it over the past few weeks.”

Balancing Workload for a Packed Schedule

Cummins is optimistic about gradually increasing his bowling workload during the IPL and aims to play a full role in the three-Test series against West Indies following the WTC final. He may, however, sit out some of Australia’s white-ball fixtures ahead of the Ashes, which include T20Is against West Indies and series against South Africa, New Zealand, and India, before taking on England in late November.

“Sometimes skipping a tour or two actually helps you play more cricket over the year,” he explained. “In the past, players tried to play everything, but now the focus is on maintaining peak performance throughout the year and prioritizing key matches. That’s just the reality of modern cricket, and everyone is accustomed to it.”

Australia’s pace attack has been relatively inexperienced in Cummins’ absence, along with the absences of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. However, young pacers have stepped up, with Ben Dwarshuis taking three wickets against England and Nathan Ellis delivering a solid performance despite a high-scoring game where 707 runs were amassed.

“Nathan is incredibly valuable because he can bowl at any stage,” Cummins said. “He doesn’t need the new ball to have an impact—he can bowl through the middle overs and at the death.”

Inglis Impresses with Batting Form

Australia’s standout performance in the Champions Trophy so far has come from Josh Inglis, who smashed a stunning 120 off 86 balls in a massive run chase against England. This followed his maiden Test century against Sri Lanka last month, where he played alongside Alex Carey, with the two now rotating the wicketkeeping role between formats.

“He’s been on almost every Australian tour for the past four years, often running drinks, so we’ve always known his quality,” Cummins said. “Scoring two centuries in different formats in the last month is incredible. He’s such a dynamic player—he can bat anywhere, take down spin, and finish innings with a range of shots. He’s entering a great phase in his career.”

Inglis’ strong form will likely spark selection debates ahead of the WTC final, with Sam Konstas in contention to return as an opener and Cameron Green expected to be available as a specialist batter. While Cummins isn’t part of the selection panel, he believes there’s a possibility Inglis retains his spot.

“You have to be open to all possibilities,” he noted. “Inglis and Carey are two of the most in-form players. They played together in the ODI side without issues. We’ve picked two all-rounders before and even two keepers in Sri Lanka. If they’re both scoring runs, I don’t see why they can’t coexist.”

Looking Ahead to Future Tournaments

After the Champions Trophy, the next major white-ball event is the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, followed by the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Australia will defend their title from the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, and Cummins remains focused on leading the team at that event.

“The next World Cup comes around quickly—we’re already nearly halfway there,” he said. “Right now, Test cricket and other tournaments are the priority, but as it gets closer, our focus will shift towards it.”