Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins to Miss IPL 2026 Start Due to Rehab

Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins will miss the start of the Indian Premier League 2026. Hazlewood plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Cummins plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

According to reports, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins have not yet been cleared by Cricket Australia medical staff. However, they are likely to join the Indian Premier League 2026 later and play some matches as the season goes on. It has been reported by the Hindustan Times that the rehab phase is currently underway for the star duo, and there is no chance of them getting fit in time for the IPL 2026 season’s opener between RCB and SRH at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28.

Hazlewood and Cummins to Miss Start of IPL 2026 Due to Injury

“Nothing much has changed from last week. The clearance is still awaited from the physios. The rehab is going on. Both Hazlewood and Cummins won’t be able to make it in time for the opening few matches", a source told HT.

“However, they are expected to play some part in the tournament later on. It all depends on the clearance. As soon as it comes in, they will travel to India", the source added.

Pat Cummins, the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad, last played a match in December 2025 against England cricket team at Adelaide Oval. In that match, he took three wickets in both innings. 

On the other hand, Hazlewood, who topped the wicket-takers list for RCB in the IPL last year, last played a cricket match in November 2025 for his domestic side, New South Wales. Due to injury-related issues, he didn’t feature in any of the five Ashes Tests and then was excluded from Australia’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad as well along with Cummins.