Australia skipper Pat Cummins returns to training as he prepares for IPL 2025 and WTC final against South Africa

Cummins met with an ankle injury during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against India. He was ruled out of the Champions Trophy 2025 but is optimistic about his fitness heading into a busy season.

"The ankle is all going strong, been able to give it a good rest and then been building up slowly, which you don't get to do when you play lots of cricket. It's feeling as strong as it has for a fair while. Should be fine [for the IPL], that's the plan. So have a few weeks of bowling, building back up and then hopefully don't have to worry about it for a while," Cummins told ESPNcricinfo.

The right-arm pacer explained that his ankle required careful management over time and became a bigger issue during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

"It's something that we've opted never to have surgery on or intervene too much, just a lot to rehab. Having this break meant that I could get a couple of cortisones and really rehab it well the last couple of weeks," Cummins said.

Looking ahead, Cummins is hopeful of steadily increasing his workload during the IPL before playing a full role in the three-Test series against West Indies following the WTC final.

He acknowledged the importance of strategic rest in a packed schedule, hinting at the possibility of managing workload heading into a busy season of cricket.

"Sometimes by missing the odd tour, you actually end up playing more cricket for the whole year. I think in the past you used to play everything, whereas now, absolutely, you try and make sure the players are at their peak for as long as you can for the year and to play as much of the important stuff each year. It's just the way of the world. Everyone's used to it," Cummins remarked.

Australia's ongoing Champions Trophy campaign has seen an inexperienced pace attack due to the absence of Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc. However, some of the younger bowlers have stepped up, including Ben Dwarshuis, who claimed three wickets against England, and Nathan Ellis, who impressed with an economical spell in a high-scoring game.

"[Nathan] has always been so valuable that he can bowl at any stage. He doesn't necessarily need to take the new ball to have a big impact. He can bowl through the middle and at the end," Cummins added.

Beyond the WTC final, Cummins is already thinking about Australia's upcoming white-ball commitments, including the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next year and the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. As the defending champions, Australia will look to retain their title, and Cummins remains committed to leading them into the tournament.

"It comes around pretty quick, we're already almost halfway. That's definitely what we've been speaking to. When it's a long way away, Test cricket and other [tournaments] take priority. But once it gets a bit closer, that becomes a bit more of a focus," Cummins concluded. (ANI)