The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will begin its 19th season on March 28, with the opening game between reigning champion Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad taking place at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
A lot of players are either hurt or unable to play in the first few games of the tournament, which has set off alarm bells for the franchises and caused them to rethink their plans at the last minute.
The conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2026 just a few days ago marked the conclusion of a busy year. A lot of players who were hurt before or during the World Cup are still in the healing process and are anticipated to enter the competition late.
The list of players who will miss the beginning of the tournament or the entire event is shown below.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pace bowler Harshit Rana is expected to miss the entire competition as he recovers from a knee injury. Due to the injury he sustained during the warm-up match against South Africa, Rana was previously disqualified from the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 as well.
Akash Deep: Due to a stress injury to his lower back, fast bowler Deep will miss the entire tournament, dealing another setback to KKR in the run-up to its commencement. Saurabh Dubey, a left-arm pacer, has been named as his replacement by KKR.
Matheesha Pathirana: The main bowler for KKR is currently waiting for permission from the Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) after a shoulder ailment forced him to end his stint in the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Cummins is anticipated to be out for the first few games of the season as he recovers from a lumber stress injury, according to Pat Cummins. Until his absence, Ishan Kishan has been selected to lead the side.
Jack Edwards: Australian all-rounder, out for the entire season due to a foot ailment. David Payne was named as his replacement by SRH.
Sam Curran: Because of a groin ailment he sustained after his stint with England till the T20 World Cup semifinal, Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Sam Curran is out for the remainder of the competition. Dasun Shanaka, the previous captain of Sri Lanka, has been chosen as his successor.
Josh Hazlewood: The main bowler for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Hazlewood, is waiting for Cricket Australia to give him the green light. Since suffering a hamstring injury in November of last year, he has been sidelined. In IPL 2026, it is anticipated that he will miss the team’s opening games.
Ellis, Nathan In advance of IPL 2026, the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have suffered a significant setback as Australian fast bowler Nathan Ellis has been sidelined due to a hamstring injury sustained during the domestic One-Day cup final.
Mitchell Starc: Cricket Australia, who are overseeing the pacer’s workload in preparation for a hectic international schedule, is still waiting for permission from the Delhi Capitals. The first games of the IPL 2026 will be missed by Starc.
Lockie Ferguson, a Punjab Kings pacer, will miss the tournament’s opening rounds because he has chosen to spend time at home with his family and a new baby boy. The New Zealand bowler is in excellent health and is now competing against South Africa in the T20I series.
In the IPL 2026 auction, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) paid 8. 6 crore for Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis. His wedding in early April will mean that he won’t be completely available for the entire season.
Luckhnow Super Giants (LSG) is still awaiting permission from the Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLC) for spinner Hasaranga, according to Wanindu Hasaranga. Hasaranga is healing from a hamstring injury.