Pat Cummins donates blood
There are cricketers who play in India, and then there is Pat Cummins, who keeps giving back to it.
The Australian Test skipper, who turned 33 on May 8, chose to mark his birthday this year in quite an unusual way by donating blood in India. Currently in the country for the Indian Premier League season with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Cummins, along with his SRH teammates Saqib Hassan, Praful Hinge, and others, went to Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad to inaugurate its sports-injury unit. Apparently, it was during this visit to the healthcare centre last week when he reportedly rolled up his sleeves. For a man of his stature, it was a gesture that spoke louder than any of the fastest balls he’d bowled in the world.
But those who have followed Cummins closely will not be surprised. This is a cricketer with a conscience that travels with him wherever he goes. Back in December 2025, when the horror of the Bondi Beach terror attack shook the nation to its core, Cummins took to Instagram to urge his followers to donate blood, writing he was “absolutely devastated” and that his heart went out to the victims and their families. It was a moment that reminded Australians that their cricket captain was more than a sporting figure; he was a community leader.
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Pat Cummins donates blood.
That thread of generosity runs even deeper when it comes to India. Cast your mind back to the dark days of 2021, when India was in the grip of a devastating COVID-19 second wave. Cummins was one of the first from the cricketing world to step up, donating $50,000 to help India fight the crisis, with funds eventually directed toward oxygen supplies for overwhelmed hospitals. Playing for KKR at the time, he said he felt “helpless and detached” sitting in the IPL bio-bubble while ordinary Indians suffered outside its walls. So he did what he could. It was the act of a man who understood that privilege carries responsibility.
Now, playing in the orange of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Cummins has returned to India year after year, and with each visit the bond deepens. The blood donation on his birthday is the latest chapter in a story of genuine affection for a country that has embraced him as one of its own.
For the Indian-Australian community, there is something particularly moving about watching an Aussie cricket icon choose an act of selfless giving in India for his special day. It reflects a spirit that both cultures share, a belief that what you give matters more than what you take.
Read more: ‘The boys have my back’: Pat Cummins’ kind gesture for Usman Khawaja wins hearts
