3 players who could replace Josh Hazlewood at RCB if he is ruled out of IPL 2026

Josh Hazlewood finished the IPL 2025 as the leading wicket-taker for RCB.

The Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) is set to kick off on March 28 with the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament’s opener at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

RCB are set to defend their title, but they might have to do it without their premier pacer, Josh Hazlewood. The Australian pacer is uncertain for the IPL 2026 due to his injury. Hazlewood finished the last edition as RCB’s leading wicket-taker. He took 22 wickets in 12 games and played a crucial role in their title-winning campaign.

But he has been out of action since November 2025 due to hamstring and calf injuries. He also missed the Ashes 2025-26 and the T20 World Cup 2026 for Australia, and there is no clarity on his availability for the IPL 2026.

There is a chance he might not feature in the coming season. That has left RCB in disarray, and they might look for an ideal replacement ahead of the upcoming season. Here we will discuss three players who could replace Hazlewood if he is ruled out of the IPL 2026.

Players who could replace Josh Hazlewood if he gets ruled out-

3. Sean Abbott

Australian seam-bowling all-rounder Sean Abbott can be a good pick for RCB. He is a hit-the-deck bowler like Hazlewood, who can get good bounce and pace because of his height. Interestingly, he made his IPL debut in 2015 for RCB and has also played for SRH. But he hasn’t featured in many games.

However, he has improved his bowling in recent years, and his BBL numbers from recent seasons show it. He is also part of the Australian T20I setup and is active in international cricket.

He bowls in the powerplay and is also a handy option in the death overs. That will give RCB more options with the ball. Adding to that, he is also a good hitter, which can be useful at a stadium like Chinnaswamy.

2. Gerald Coetzee

South African quick Gerald Coetzee is another good option as a replacement. Coetzee caught the world’s attention with his exploits for South Africa during the ODI World Cup 2023.

He was lethal with his speed and accuracy on Indian pitches. That helped him secure his first IPL contract with the Mumbai Indians in 2024. In 2025, he was part of the Gujarat Titans. So far, in 14 IPL games, he has taken 15 wickets, but didn’t get any bids at the IPL 2026 auction.

Coetzee bowls consistently around 145-150 kmph and gets the ball to swing. He can be a good option, adding variety to RCB’s pace attack.

1. Jhye Richardson

The 29-year-old from Western Australia, Jhye Richardson, made headlines when the Punjab Kings bought him for a whopping 14 crore in the IPL 2021. But he wasn’t utilized properly and played only three matches. Then he was signed by the Delhi Capitals in 2024 and played only one game.

However, Richardson has improved as a T20 bowler since then. The tall pacer played a key role in the BBL 2025-26 and helped Perth Scorchers win their sixth title.

His ability to bowl at different stages makes him an ideal bowler for Indian conditions. RCB could use him at the start, in the middle, and even in death overs.

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