Josh Hazelwood, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Harshit Rana (Agency Image)
Harshit Rana (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Nathan Ellis (Chennai Super Kings)
Sam Curran (Rajasthan Royals)
Jack Edwards (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Pat Cummins (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Josh Hazlewood (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
Lockie Ferguson (Punjab Kings)
Mitchell Starc (Delhi Capitals)
Matheesha Pathirana
(Kolkata Knight Riders)
IPL 2026 is set to begin under a cloud of injury concerns, with several key players either ruled out completely or unavailable for a significant part of the tournament. Teams are already being forced to rethink combinations even before the first ball is bowled.Here is a look at the full list of injured or unavailable players ahead of the season:The young Indian pacer will miss the entire season after suffering an injury during India’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up match against South Africa in Navi Mumbai on February 4. His absence leaves a gap in KKR’s pace attack.Ellis has been ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury, a setback confirmed by CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan on March 19.He was expected to play a key role for the franchise this season, especially in the death bowling department.The England all-rounder, who joined Rajasthan Royals in a trade deal with CSK last year along with Ravindra Jadeja in exchange for Sanju Samson, will miss the entire season due to a groin injury.Edwards, a new recruit who was picked up for Rs 3 crore in the 2026 auction, will not feature at all this season due to a foot injury, denying him his IPL debut.Cummins will miss the initial matches as he continues to recover from the injury that also ruled him out of the T20 World Cup 2026. In his absence, Ishan Kishan will lead the side, with Abhishek Sharma serving as vice-captain.A crucial part of RCB’s title-winning campaign last year, Hazlewood is still recovering from an injury that has kept him out for four months. He will miss the initial phase of IPL 2026.New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson is set to miss the early stages of IPL 2026 for Punjab Kings. Ferguson, a new father, will prioritise spending time with his family before potentially linking up with PBKS for the latter half of the tournament.Mitchell Starc is set to miss the start of IPL 2026, with Cricket Australia taking a cautious approach in managing the left-arm quick ahead of a demanding international schedule. Starc is among Australia’s senior pacers being held back for the early part of the tournament, with his availability dependent on progress in return-to-play protocols over the coming weeks.The Sri Lankan pacer, who was bought for INR 18 crore, has been sidelined due to injury. While he is expected to return at some stage during the tournament, there is no clarity on when and whether he will be available for the full season.The IPL 2026 season begins on March 28, with the opening match between defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.