Full list of players who will not play the starting matches of IPL 2026

Several players are set to miss the initial games of IPL 2026 due to various reasons.

Indian Premier League 2026 is set to commence on March 28 with the opening game between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad. With just a few days left, all the teams are putting in the hard yards to prepare for the tournament.

All 10 IPL teams have formed a strong squad after the mini-auction conducted last year. However, a few teams will miss the services of their crucial players at the start of IPL 2026. Several players are set to miss their initial games due to various reasons. Below is the complete list of all such players.

List of players who will miss the initial games of IPL 2026

Pat Cummins (SRH) – Back Injury

Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins has not completely recovered from his back injury. The Australian pacer sustained the injury in July last year. He made a comeback in The Ashes 2025-26 last year; however, he was ruled out of the campaign after playing one game.

The injury also sidelined him from T20 World Cup 2026. Cummins will join the SRH camp ahead of the IPL 2026 but will undergo rehabilitation in India. Ishan Kishan has been named the interim skipper and Pat will take the reins of the side once he is completely fit.

Josh Hazlewood (RCB) – Hamstring and Achilles injuries

Josh Hazlewood sustained a hamstring injury last year just ahead of The Ashes 2025-26 and has been out of the field since then. He was also ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2026 due to hamstring and Achilles injuries. The Aussie pacer is expected to join the RCB squad in mid-April.

Mitchell Starc (DC) – Workload management

Mitchell Starc’s arrival in IPL 2026 has been delayed due to his workload management by Cricket Australia (CA). He has a busy international schedule for the upcoming months. Starc will miss the initial games of Delhi Capitals (DC).

Lockie Ferguson (PBKS) – Personal reason

Lockie Ferguson will miss the first few games of IPL 2026 due to personal reasons following the birth of his child. The New Zealand pacer is expected to join the squad in the latter half of the tournament as he will spend some time with his family

Matheesha Pathirana (KKR) – Calf strain (first game)

Matheesha Pathirana was picked by KKR in the IPL 2026 mini-auction; however, he is set to miss the opening game against Mumbai Indians due to a calf strain. He will join the squad for the second game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The Sri Lankan pacer suffered the injury during Sri Lanka’s clash against Australia in T20 World Cup 2026.

Wanindu Hasaranga (LSG) – Hamstring injury

Wanindu Hasaranga sustained a hamstring injury in the opening clash against Ireland in T20 World Cup last month and was also ruled out of the campaign. He is confirmed to miss the first few games as of now but there are chances that he might miss the entire IPL 2026.

Matthew Short (CSK)- Thumb injury (opening games)

Matthew Short is currently recovering from a thumb injury and is expected to miss the start of IPL 2026. He is expected to report to the squad on March 22 but will need time to be match-ready. The injury happened earlier this month during a Sheffield Shield match.

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