IPL 2026: Josh Hazlewood likely to miss first few games
What's the story
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is set to kick off on March 28. However, the tournament's opening matches could be affected by fitness issues concerning key players from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Australian stars Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are likely to miss their respective team's first few games due to injuries.
Replacement options
Hazlewood's injury concerns
Hazlewood has been sidelined by injury in recent months. His last competitive appearance was for New South Wales in November 2025. He missed both the Ashes series and the T20 World Cup 2026 due to fitness issues. If he misses early fixtures, New Zealand's Jacob Duffy or Sri Lanka's Nuwan Thushara could play a bigger role in RCB's pace attack.
Information
Hazlewood has been sensational in IPL
Notably, Hazlewood has been phonomenal in the tourney, having claimed 57 wickets from 39 IPL matches at 20.98 (ER: 8.27). He also played an instrumental role in powering RCB to their maiden IPL trophy last season, taking 22 wickets from 12 matches at 17.54.
Injury update
Cummins's absence from SRH
Meanwhile, Cummins has been away from international cricket for a while, with his last appearance coming in December 2025 against England at the Adelaide Oval. He took three wickets in each innings of that match. The SRH captain also missed the T20 World Cup 2026 due to injury concerns and has been working his way back to full fitness ever since. In IPL, he boasts 79 wicke
Captaincy changes
Who will lead SRH in Cummins's absence?
The absence of Cummins could also impact the leadership of SRH in their opening match. Ishan Kishan or Abhishek Sharma could lead the side against RCB if Cummins isn't fit on time. Both players have prior captaincy experience from leading Jharkhand and Punjab respectively in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Widespread injuries
Other teams facing similar issues
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) could also miss key players, with Harshit Rana likely to be out for a major part of the tournament. Sri Lanka's Matheesha Pathirana, who was bought for ₹18 crore at the auction, is also not fully fit and may miss several matches for KKR. Wanindu Hasaranga remains doubtful after suffering a hamstring injury during the T20 World Cup.