Bad news for SRH and RCB! BIG players to MISS start of IPL 2026 - Reports
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will play the tournament opener of IPL 2026 on March 28.
The Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) is set to start on March 28 and all 10 teams are pulling their socks up for the tournament. The schedule for only 20 games has been released so far due to the forthcoming assembly elections in three states.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will play the tournament opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The encounter will take place at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. RCB are the defending champions of the tournament and will aim for a consecutive title under captain Rajat Patidar.
Pat Cummins is the captain of SRH in IPL 2026, who look to win their second title in the tournament’s history. However, both the teams have suffered a big blow just a few days ahead of the tournament.
Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood to miss initial games of IPL 2026
According to a report by Daniel Cherny of CodeSports.com, Cummins and Hazlewood will arrive late in India as they are yet to recover from their injuries, meaning that they miss the initial games of IPL 2026. While Cummins is recovering from a lumbar back stress fracture, Hazlewood is battling with hamstring and Achilles tendon injuries.
Cummins led SRH to the final in the 2024 edition, where they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He has been suffering from his back injury since July 2025. The Australian captain made a short return in The Ashes 2025-26 in December; however, he was ruled out after playing the second test as his injury resurfaced.
The Australian pacer was also ruled out of T20 World Cup 2026 due to his back injury. SRH are in talks to appoint Ishan Kishan as the captain and Abhishek Sharma as his deputy in Cummins’ absence.
Speaking about Hazlewood, he has not played any international games since October 2025. Just ahead of the Ashes 2025-26, the right-arm pacer suffered a hamstring injury and could not play any game in the tournament.
He was also ruled out of T20 World Cup 2026. Hazlewood played a crucial role in RCB’s journey to the title last season and was the top wicket-taker for the side.
Pat Cummins is part of which team in IPL 2026?
Cummins is part of Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026.
Josh Hazlewood is part of which team in IPL 2026?
Hazlewood will represent Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the tournament.
For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.