As an Australian IPL fan, this is genuinely gutting news. With IPL 2026 kicking off on March 28, two of our biggest stars won’t be there from ball one — and honestly, after the T20 World Cup disaster, we needed some good news.
Hazlewood and Cummins: The Injury Nightmare Continues
Josh Hazlewood, representing defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, is nursing hamstring and Achilles tendon problems and has been out of competitive cricket for close to five months. For RCB fans, that’s a massive blow — he took 22 wickets last season and played a major role in helping the team win their first IPL title. He’s expected to miss clashes against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings before returning against Rajasthan Royals on April 10.
Meanwhile, Pat Cummins has been managing a lumbar bone stress injury, and Cricket Australia’s medical team holds the final say on when he returns — SRH haven’t even put a date on it yet.
Who Steps Up in Their Absence?
In Hazlewood’s absence, RCB are likely to look to Jacob Duffy or Nuwan Thushara to spearhead their pace attack, while Sunrisers Hyderabad could turn to Brydon Carse or Ehsan Malinga to fill the void.
Ishan Kishan has emerged as the frontrunner to lead SRH, with Abhishek Sharma also in the frame as potential deputy.
The Bigger Picture for Australian Cricket
Australia are managing both bowlers carefully, with selectors pragmatic about timing — the squad faces 26 Tests and an ODI World Cup over the next 18 months.
