IPL 2026: After Harshit Rana, two other stars from RCB, SRH stars set to miss few matches

Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is scheduled to start from March 28, and ahead of the tournament, injuries have become a concern of the tournament with Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru facing early setbacks. Their key Australian fast bowlers, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, are likely to miss the first few matches of the season.

Why Cummins and Hazlewood miss the initial phase of IPL 2026?

SRH captain Cummins is out of international cricket for a while as his last outing came in December 2025 against England in Adelaide. After that, he missed the T20 World Cup 2026 due to injury and has been focusing on his recovery since then.

Hazlewood is also dealing with a similar situation. The Australian pacer has been out of action in recent months and last played in November 2025 for New South Wales. Because of his injury, he missed both the Ashes and the T20 World Cup 2026.

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HT reported that, both Cummins and Hazlewood may not be available for the opening games of IPL 2026. That said, there is still hope that they could join their teams later in the tournament if they regain full fitness. So far, neither SRH nor RCB has made any official announcement about their availability.

Who can be Cummins and Hazlewood replacements for their IPL franchises?

If Hazlewood misses the early matches, RCB might turn to players like Jacob Duffy or Nuwan Thushara to strengthen their bowling attack.

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SRH also have a few options to fill in. Bowlers like Brydon Carse and Ehsan Malinga could get a chance if Cummins is not ready in time.

Cummins’ absence could also affect SRH’s leadership in the first game. Reports suggest that either Ishan Kishan or Abhishek Sharma might lead the team against RCB if Cummins is unavailable. Both players have some captaincy experience from domestic cricket.

Defending champions RCB will play the IPL 2026 opener clash against SRH which will take place at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.