The 2026 edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to get underway on March 28 and all 10 teams are pulling their socks up for the cash-rich tournament. The schedule for only 20 games has been released so far due to the forthcoming assembly elections in three states.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the event opener at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
RCB are the reigning IPL champions and will aim for a consecutive title under captain Rajat Patidar. On the other hand, SRH will look to clinch their second title. However, both the teams are dealing with injury issues with barely a few days remaining for the competition.
According to a report in Hindustan Times, Josh Hazlewood (RCB) and Pat Cummins (SRH) are yet to get the official clearance from the Cricket Australia medical staff and will miss the initial games of the upcoming IPL season.
While Cummins is recovering from a lumbar back stress fracture, Hazlewood is battling hamstring and Achilles tendon injuries.
“Nothing much has changed from last week. The clearance is still awaited from the physios. The rehab is going on. Both Hazlewood and Cummins won't be able to make it in time for the opening few matches,” the publication quoted a source as saying.
“However, they are expected to play some part in the tournament later on. It all depends on the clearance. As soon as it comes in, they will travel to India,” the source added.
Josh Hazlewood played an instrumental role in RCB’s maiden IPL title win last edition, picking up 22 wickets in 12 matches.
Hazlewood first injured his right hamstring while playing for New South Wales in November. He was tipped to make a comeback midway through the home Ashes. However, a fresh Achilles injury during rehabilitation ruled him out of the entire five-Test series against England and the subsequent T20 World Cup.
On the other hand, Pat Cummins sustained the back injury before the 2025-26 Ashes, which kept him sidelined from four out of five Tests.
Cummins underwent an intense rehabilitation during the Ashes and made a brief comeback in the third Test at the Adelaide Oval, starring with six wickets, but didn’t feature in the last two games as Australia were wary that extending his workload could lead to long-term fitness issues.
While Cummins was expected to return in time for the T20 World Cup, he couldn’t regain his fitness and was ruled out of the global tournament.
It remains to be seen who will lead SRH in Cummins’ absence. Ishan Kishan is reportedly the front-runner for the captaincy role, considering how he led Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy win earlier this year, which paved the way for his India return as well.
