Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins set to miss early games for their teams ahead of IPL 2026

March 18, 2026: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) may have to begin their Indian Premier League 2026 journey without key fast bowler Josh Hazlewood. The Australian pacer is still recovering from injuries and is likely to miss the first couple of matches.

Hazlewood had a difficult time during the recent The Ashes, where he was ruled out due to a hamstring injury. During his recovery, he also developed an Achilles issue, which has delayed his return further. This is a setback for RCB because he was one of their most important players last season. He took 22 wickets and played a major role in helping the team win their first IPL title.

Josh Hazlewood & Pat Cummins are set to miss the start of IPL 2026, so who could replace them at #RCB and #SRH? #IPL #Aakashvani #Cricket pic.twitter.com/BZokmU5hYG

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 17, 2026

Fitness issues continue for Australian stars

At the same time, Pat Cummins, captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad, is also expected to miss the opening games. He is currently dealing with a recurring back problem and had limited involvement in the Ashes, playing only one Test match at Adelaide Oval.

Cummins has been managing this injury since Australia’s tour of the Caribbean, and his workload is being handled carefully. Both he and Hazlewood were also unavailable for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, where Australia exited early.

With a busy international schedule coming up, including tours to South Africa, India, and England, Cricket Australia is taking a cautious approach with both bowlers.

Although other Australian players are expected to join their IPL teams soon, Hazlewood and Cummins will return only when fully fit. If they recover in time, both are still expected to play important roles later in the tournament.

In Cummins’ absence, SRH will need a stand-in skipper. According to reports, Abhishek Sharma is the frontrunner for the role. The left-handed batter has been part of the franchise for the last five years and recently lifted the ICC Men's T20 World Cup title with India, further strengthening his leadership credentials.