The IPL 2026 is less than a week away. The 19th edition of cricket’s biggest T20 franchise league on the planet will commence on March 28.
In the IPL 2026 opener, defending champions RCB will host SRH at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
This year, RCB, having won their maiden IPL trophy last season, will amp up their ambition to become only the third franchise, after CSK and MI, to win back-to-back titles.
On the other hand, CSK and MI, the two winningest IPL teams, will want to add a sixth IPL trophy to their cabinet.
The week leading up to the start of an IPL season brings plenty of excitement in the buildup. But it also brings a spate of trepidation, anxiety, and uncertainty in both fans and the franchise because injuries have become a significant part of a top-flight cricketer’s career.
Every season, teams lose some players to injury. This year, though, at least 11 players are laid low due to injury or partially missing the tournament with still a week to go for the commencement of 2026 IPL .
Let us check out the list of injured players and partially unavailable cricketers ahead of IPL 2026.
Mitchell Starc (DC)
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc is unavailable for the first few matches of his IPL team, Delhi Capitals, in IPL 2026 as Cricket Australia (CA) is monitoring the fitness of Starc and other Australian pacers ahead of a jam-packed international schedule.
Josh Hazlewood (RCB)
RCB spearhead pacer Josh Hazlewood’s return to professional cricket has been delayed. The lanky pacer has not played any match since November due to hamstring and Achilles issues.
RCB vs SRH: Will Josh Hazlewood play against SRH?
Hazlewood is unavailable for RCB’s first match of 2026 IPL against SRH on March 28. Hazlewood is set to miss a few matches as he recovers from his Achilles injury.
Lockie Ferguson (PBKS)
Punjab Kings’ New Zealand speedster Lockie Ferguson has opted out of the early stages of the IPL 2026 to spend time with his wife and their newborn son. Ferguson is likely to miss Phase 1 and join PBKS in late April.
“Just had a son, trying to spend as much time as I can at home and help the wife out. I’ll have a few weeks off after this, before sort of heading to the later stages of the IPL and away for the winter,” Ferguson said recently.
Matheesha Pathirana (KKR)
KKR are fretting over Matheesha Pathirana’s injury. Head coach Abhishek Nayar has said that Pathirana will be available from mid-April as he is undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain injury. KKR had bought Pathirana for a whopping INR 18 crore.
Harshit Rana (KKR)
While Pathirana is expected to be fit by mid-April, Harshit Rana has been ruled out of the 2026 IPL, according to reports, due to a knee injury.
Coach Abhishek Nayar revealed KKR have looked for options, but the management has not finalized Rana’s replacement yet.
Nathan Ellis (CSK)
CSK’s bowling department has been dealt a huge blow as Australia’s T20 specialist pacer Nathan Ellis has been ruled out of IPL 2026 owing to a hamstring injury.
Sam Curran (RR)
A massive blow to the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the season is that England all-rounder Sam Curran will miss the entire IPL 2026 with a suspected groin injury.
Curran was traded in by RR from CSK along with Jadeja as part of the Sanju Samson trade deal.
Pat Cummins (SRH)
SRH captain Pat Cummins is unavailable for the first few matches of the IPL 2026. Cummins is not yet completely recovered from the lumbar stress issue that kept him out of four Ashes Tests and the T20 World Cup.
Ishan Kishan will lead SRH in Cummins’ absence until the Australian is available.
Jack Edwards (SRH)
Another injury absentee for SRH this season will be Australian 25-year-old fast-bowling allrounder Jack Edwards, whom SRH purchased for INR 3 crore in the auction. Edwards picked up a foot injury and consequently was ruled out of the IPL 2026.
Matthew Short (CSK)
CSK’s Australian spin-bowling all-rounder Matthew Short has reportedly sustained a thumb injury and will sit out the initial matches of the IPL 2026, according to Cricbuzz.
Atharva Ankolekar (MI)
Among the lesser-known names on this injury list is Mumbai Indians’ Atharva Ankolekar, a left-handed spin-bowling all-rounder. Ankolekar is reportedly ruled out of IPL 2026 because of a knee injury.
Get the Latest Cricket Updates at IceCric.News. Also, Follow Our Social Media for live updates on Facebook and Instagram.
