Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have been dealt with a blow as Josh Hazlewood is all but confirmed to miss the first few matches of IPL 2026. The Australian pacer has been on the sidelines for more than four months now owing to various injuries. RCB are set to commence their IPL 2026 campaign on March 28 by taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Hazlewood to miss first few matches of IPL 2026?
As per CODE Sports, Hazlewood is likely to miss the first two matches of IPL 2026 for RCB as he is still recovering from his injuries. The report states that the pacer won’t play any matches until April 11 (earliest). This comes as a big blow to RCB who are heavily dependent on Hazlewood as he is not only the spearhead of their pace department but was also their leading wicket-taker in IPL 2025.
“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. 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,” a source said.
RCB full schedule for IPL 2026
| Date | Day | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28/03/26 | Sat | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad | Bengaluru |
| 05/04/26 | Sun | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs. Chennai Super Kings | Bengaluru |
| 10/04/26 | Fri | Rajasthan Royals vs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Guwahati |
| 12/04/26 | Sun | Mumbai Indians vs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Mumbai |
RCB squad for IPL 2026
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Jitesh Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Bethell, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Dar, Swapnil Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy, Satvik Deswal, Mangesh Yadav, Jordan Cox, Vicky Otswal, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanishk Chouhan
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