The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League is scheduled to begin on Saturday, March 28, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru facing Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Ahead of the new season, several franchises have already been forced to adjust their plans due to the absence of important players dealing with injuries or workload concerns. Australia’s pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are among those likely to miss a portion of the tournament. Other players such as Harshit Rana, Nathan Ellis and Sam Curran are also expected to be unavailable.
Players Likely to Miss IPL 2026 Matches
- Chennai Super Kings: Nathan Ellis (hamstring injury, full tournament)
- Delhi Capitals: Mitchell Starc (workload management, partial absence)
- Kolkata Knight Riders: Harshit Rana (knee injury, full tournament), Matheesha Pathirana (calf strain, partial absence)
- Lucknow Super Giants: Josh Inglis (personal leave, partial absence)
- Mumbai Indians: Atharva Ankolekar (knee injury, full tournament)
- Punjab Kings: Lockie Ferguson (parental leave, partial absence)
- Rajasthan Royals: Sam Curran (suspected groin injury, full tournament)
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Josh Hazlewood (hamstring/Achilles injury, partial absence)
- Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins (back injury, partial absence), Jack Edwards (foot injury, full tournament)
With multiple squads dealing with setbacks even before the opening fixture, teams will be looking to find suitable replacements and adjust combinations as the competition gets underway.
