After experiencing "personal reasons," the birth of newborns, and injury troubles, the legendary Australian pace trio is finally set to reunite on the stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The absence of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood contributed to Australia's unfortunate loss to eventual champions India in the Champions Trophy semi-final.
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03-21, 2025Cummins has not participated in any level of cricket since leading Australia to successfully defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January. The Australian Test and ODI captain missed the Sri Lanka tour due to the birth of his second child. Starc was the only frontline pace bowler used by Australia in their two Test victories in Sri Lanka, but the 35-year-old chose to withdraw from the Champions Trophy for "personal reasons," the specifics of which were not detailed. However, after a long summer schedule, the rest will undoubtedly benefit Starc's physical recovery.
Hazlewood's injury situation is also a concern, as he only participated in two of the five Tests against India. The 34-year-old will return to Royal Challengers Bangalore after missing last year's competition due to the birth of his first child. Cummins will once again join Travis Head and leg-spinner Adam Zampa at Sunrisers Hyderabad. Cummins and Head will be key figures in Sunrisers Hyderabad's pursuit of the title, while Zampa will compete with Indian spinner Rahul Chahar for playing opportunities.
Cummins and Head helped Sunrisers Hyderabad reach the IPL final last year, but they ultimately lost to Starc's Kolkata Knight Riders. Although Starc regained form late in the competition and played a crucial role in the final, earning the Man of the Match award, he was not retained by Kolkata Knight Riders and will instead play for the Delhi Capitals this year. Starc will join Jake Fraser-McGurk in the Delhi team, the young batter who impressed for the Capitals last season.
Fraser-McGurk was in red-hot form last May, but his form has struggled somewhat since then, both domestically and internationally. However, returning to India, in the batting-friendly conditions typically offered by the IPL, may help him rediscover his best form. The Australian players participating in the IPL include: Pat Cummins (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Mitchell Starc (Delhi Capitals), Josh Hazlewood (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Travis Head (Sunrisers Hyderabad), among others.
