IPL 2026 build-up far from ideal for franchises as injuries, absences pile up

The much-anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is just a week away, but the build-up has been far from ideal for several franchises. A host of key players are either set to miss the start or have been ruled out of the two-and-a-half-month-long tournament due to injuries and availability issues.

Several squads are impacted, headlined by the absence of the Australian fast-bowling trio — Pat Cummins (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Josh Hazlewood (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), and Mitchell Starc (Delhi Capitals).

Adding to the uncertainty, four Sri Lankan players — Wanindu Hasaranga (Lucknow Super Giants), Nuwan Thushara (RCB), Matheesha Pathirana (Kolkata Knight Riders), and Eshan Malinga (SRH) — are yet to receive fitness clearance and No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from their board.

Cummins misses, Ishan takes over SRH

The absence of Cummins for the initial phase has forced Sunrisers Hyderabad to hand the captaincy to Ishan Kishan, with Abhishek Sharma stepping in as vice-captain.

SRH has also been dealt a blow with Australian seam-bowling all-rounder Jack Edwards ruled out for the season due to a foot injury. He was picked for Rs. 3 crore.

In Cummins’ absence, England’s Brydon Carse is likely to start, offering a seam-bowling all-round option at No. 8.

Hazlewood still not ready for RCB

Defending champion Royal Challengers Bengaluru will not start with its preferred XII when it faces SRH on the opening night at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Hazlewood is still recovering from persistent hamstring and Achilles issues and is expected to miss at least the first two matches.

However, RCB can rely on New Zealand quick Jacob Duffy, who offers a similar skill set.

While most of the squad, including Virat Kohli, has joined training, fast bowler Yash Dayal, who is facing allegations in two separate legal cases, is yet to be seen — both on the field and on the franchise’s social media. His last competitive outing was the IPL 2025 final, and he did not feature in Uttar Pradesh’s domestic season.

CSK’s Ellis ruled out

Chennai Super Kings has also suffered a pre-season setback, with Australian pacer Nathan Ellis ruled out due to a hamstring injury.

The franchise is yet to announce a replacement. It still has pace options in Matt Henry, Zakary Foulkes, and Jamie Overton.

Meanwhile, Sanju Samson joined the camp at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium earlier this week, where preparations had already begun under MS Dhoni a couple of weeks ago. 

KKR thin on fast bowling reserves

Kolkata Knight Riders has been heavily impacted, with three key fast bowlers doubtful.

Harshit Rana is recovering from a knee ligament strain, Pathirana is awaiting clearance, and Akash Deep has reportedly suffered a lower-back stress reaction and could be out for up to eight weeks.

ALSO READ: IPL injury tracker — comprehensive update on players missing 2026 season

Earlier, Blessing Muzarabani of Zimbabwe replaced Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman, who was released following a BCCI directive earlier this year. 

For now, KKR’s pace options include Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, a fit-again Umran Malik, and Muzarabani. The franchise is likely to announce at least one replacement before its opener against Mumbai Indians on March 29 at the Wankhede Stadium.

Starc delays DC return

Delhi Capitals will have to wait for Starc, who will miss the initial phase to manage workload following Australia’s packed schedule.

Picked for Rs. 11.75 crore ahead of the IPL 2025, Starc picked up 14 wickets in 11 matches last season. In his absence, DC can turn to Kyle Jamieson and Lungi Ngidi.

Royals’ Curran problem

Rajasthan Royals faces a setback with Sam Curran set to miss the entire season due to a suspected groin injury.

Curran, who was traded alongside Ravindra Jadeja from CSK, will be difficult to replace given his value as a seam-bowling all-rounder.

Ferguson’s delayed arrival at PBKS

New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson will join Punjab Kings later after taking parental leave.

PBKS, however, remains well-stocked, with options including Arshdeep Singh, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Ben Dwarshuis, Yash Thakur, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Marcus Stoinis.

Smooth sailing for MI, LSG and GT so far

Fortunately for Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans, the build-up to the season has been smooth so far.

Rohit Sharma has already joined the MI camp. However, T20 World Cup-bound players — Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma — are yet to link up with the squad.

LSG skipper Rishabh Pant has been training with his teammates in pursuit of the franchise’s maiden IPL title. Pacer Mohammad Shami, who was traded from SRH for Rs. 10 crore, has also joined the squad.

Gujarat Titans, meanwhile, began assembling earlier this week under captain Shubman Gill, with Washington Sundar also joining the camp recently.

Early setbacks could shape the table

With multiple first-choice picks unavailable, the early phase of the season could significantly influence how the IPL points table shapes up.

Among the worst affected is KKR, which looks thin on both experience and depth in its pace attack. With three frontline options uncertain, it may be forced to rely on untested combinations in high-scoring conditions early on.

Sunrisers, too, face a leadership and balance challenge in the absence of Cummins, especially with a new captain at the helm, at least for the first three games. How quickly the side adapts could define its campaign.

For RCB and DC, the impact appears more short-term, given their depth despite missing Hazlewood and Starc, respectively.

In a tournament where early slip-ups often come back to hurt later, teams will need to plug these gaps quickly – either through smart replacements or tactical flexibility.

Published on Mar 21, 2026