Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Josh Hazlewood is expected to miss the first two games of the IPL 2026 season. He suffered a hamstring injury for New South Wales, which resulted in him being ruled out of the Ashes and also the T20 World Cup in 2026. As things stand, he is recovering well, but will not start the season. In his absence, Jacob Duffy is expected to lead the bowling department.
However, Hazlewood is expected to return to full fitness soon. Cricbuzz reported that he will miss the heavyweight clashes against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings, before returning for the match against Rajasthan Royals on April 10 in Guwahati.ย
The franchise, in the meantime, hasnโt released the details of his recovery. The Australia quick was one of RCBโs biggest match-winners last season, claiming 22 wickets in 12 matches and finishing as the third-leading wicket-taker of the tournament. He is expected to deliver in the same capacity again, having enough experience of playing on the Indian sub-continent.
Pat Cummins to miss matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins is expected to miss the first few games of the new season. Due to a lumbar stress back injury, the 32-year-old featured in only one Ashes Test and was ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026. In his absence, Ishan Kishan is reported to be taking over the leadership role with Abhishek Sharma acting as his deputy.ย
The Jharkhand captain proved his leadership credentials, having helped his state team win the Syed Mushtaq Alli Trophy earlier in the year. He was leading from the front, which helped the cricketer earn a spot in Indiaโs T20 World Cup 2026 squad as well.
Meanwhile, in Cumminsโ absence, Sri Lanka pacer Ehsan Malinga is expected to start for Hyderabad. Brydon Carse too could be considered, given that the team management prefers a batting-heavy side. Either of these two players could be the fourth foreigner, while Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen and Liam Livingstone are expected to take up the remaining spots.
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