Josh Hazlewood IPL 2026: Two big IPL 2026 teams may start the season without their main fast bowlers. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are likely to be without Josh Hazlewood for the first two matches. Sunrisers Hyderabad may also miss Pat Cummins in the opening games. Recent reports say Hazlewood is recovering from a hamstring injury and Cummins is dealing with a lower back problem.
Reports on March 17, 2026, said Hazlewood could miss games against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings, while Cummins may sit out SRH’s first few matches.
Hazlewood got injured while playing for New South Wales. Because of that problem, he was ruled out of the Ashes and also the T20 World Cup in 2026, according to the report you shared. Right now, he is said to be getting better, but he is not expected to be ready for the start of the tournament. With him not available, Jacob Duffy is likely to carry a lot of responsibility in the RCB pace attack. Reports also say Hazlewood may return for the match against Rajasthan Royals on April 10 in Guwahati. So RCB fans may not have to wait too long.
Hazlewood’s absence could hurt RCB early
This is important for Bengaluru because Hazlewood was one of the team’s biggest match-winners last season. He picked up 22 wickets in 12 matches and finished as the third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, according to the report you provided. That kind of form is not easy to replace. He also has strong experience in Indian conditions, which makes him even more valuable for a team like RCB at the start of a new season.
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Cummins’ Recovery
Sunrisers Hyderabad have a similar worry with captain Pat Cummins. He is also coming back from injury and may miss the first few matches of IPL 2026. The report says he had a lumbar stress back injury and because of that he played only one Ashes Test and missed the T20 World Cup in 2026.
In his absence, reports said Ishan Kishan was set to lead the side, with Abhishek Sharma as deputy. Another report published on March 16 said both Ishan and Abhishek were in the frame for leadership, which shows the final call may still depend on the team’s internal decision.
Ishan’s name coming up for captaincy is not a surprise. The report says he showed strong leadership earlier in the year when he helped Jharkhand win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. That performance also reportedly helped him earn a place in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad. If Cummins is not ready in time, SRH may also turn to Sri Lanka pacer Ehsan Malinga in the playing eleven. Brydon Carse could also be an option if the team wants a lineup with more batting strength.
