Karan March 28 can’t come fast enough for cricket fans. RCB and SRH open IPL 2026 at Chinnaswamy Stadium.
But the excitement comes with a catch. Both teams will be missing key players. So will most other franchises.
The IPL 2026 injured players list has fifteen names on it. That’s fifteen players who won’t be available when the tournament starts.
Some are recovering from surgeries. Others are stuck in rehab timelines that stretch beyond the season.
A handful will join late after missing the crucial opening phase.
IPL 2026 Injured Players List of All Teams
Who’s Missing From IPL 2026 Squads?
Injuries have hit pace bowlers the hardest. Hamstring tears seem to be everywhere this year.
Back problems, knee surgeries, and shoulder issues have also taken their toll.
The list splits into two categories. Full-season absences and delayed arrivals.
Eight players won’t play at all. Seven more will miss opening matches but could return mid-tournament.
For teams that built strategies around specific players, it’s forced them to rethink everything.
Players Who Will Miss IPL 2026 Completely
- Harshit Rana (KKR) was injured in February during a warm-up match against South Africa. His knee buckled. Surgery followed immediately. The recovery period is two to three months. That takes him well past the IPL finish line. KKR expected him to be their strike bowler. They’ll need to find someone else.
- Sam Curran (RR) switched from CSK to Rajasthan in a major trade. Sanju Samson went the other way, along with Ravindra Jadeja, joining RR. But Curran’s groin injury needs two months to heal. He won’t bowl a single over for Rajasthan this season.
- Nathan Ellis (CSK) hurt his hamstring in January during the BBL. He pushed through pain to play the T20 World Cup. The injury got worse after the tournament ended. CSK kept him at INR 2 crore, thinking they’d have an experienced Australian pacer. They won’t.
- Jack Edwards (SRH) was bought for INR 3 crore at the auction. His foot injury has kept him off the field. Sunrisers wanted him for middle-order batting. That depth won’t be there.
- Atharva Ankolekar (MI) twisted his knee while diving to stop a boundary in a Ranji Trophy match. The injury looked bad immediately. He was carried off the field. Surgery was needed. Mumbai paid INR 30 lakh for the all-rounder. He won’t be available.
- Eshan Malinga (SRH) dislocated his shoulder during the T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka’s campaign ended early for him. The recovery timeline keeps pushing back. SRH will confirm his full-season absence soon if they haven’t already.
- Adam Milne (RR) suffered a severe hamstring tear playing for Sunrisers Eastern Cape in SA20. That was back in January. The injury also ruled him out of the T20 World Cup. Rajasthan bought him as an overseas pace option. He won’t fill that role.
- Akash Deep (KKR) became the most recent addition to this list. A Cricbuzz report stated he’ll miss the entire season. The injury details weren’t made public. KKR signed him at the auction. He’s out before bowling his first ball.
Ruled Out Players of IPL 2026 Opening Matches
These players haven’t been ruled out completely. But they won’t be ready when their teams play their first few games. Some are close to full fitness. Others might not make it back at all.
| Player | Franchise | Status | Possible Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Cummins | SRH | Back injury | After the opening matches |
| Josh Hazlewood | RCB | Hamstring/Achilles | Mid-April |
| Mitchell Starc | DC | Workload management | After the first phase |
| Lockie Ferguson | PBKS | Paternity leave | The latter half of the tournament |
| Matheesha Pathirana | KKR | Calf strain | Second match |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | LSG | Hamstring injury | Unknown (could miss season) |
| Matthew Short | CSK | Thumb injury | End of March |
- Pat Cummins (SRH) hurt his back in July last year. He came back for one Ashes match. The injury returned. It kept him out of the T20 World Cup. Now it’s keeping him out of SRH’s opening games. He’s the captain. His absence affects more than just the bowling attack.
- Josh Hazlewood (RCB) has been dealing with hamstring and Achilles issues for months. Both injuries kept him out of the Ashes and the World Cup. RCB expects him around mid-April. That’s when the tournament is already well underway. Their pace attack will be short-handed until then.
- Mitchell Starc (DC) has no injury. Cricket Australia is protecting him ahead of a busy Test schedule. Delhi will start without their marquee signing. Starc will join after the opening phase wraps up.
- Lockie Ferguson (PBKS) is on paternity leave. His child was just born. He’ll miss the first half of IPL 2026 entirely. Punjab will have him for the back end of the tournament.
- Matheesha Pathirana (KKR) strained his calf during Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup match against Australia. He’ll sit out KKR’s first game against Mumbai Indians. The second match against SRH should see him available.
- Wanindu Hasaranga (LSG) pulled his hamstring in the World Cup opener against Ireland. The injury ended his tournament. Lucknow hopes he’ll be ready after missing the first few games. But the injury could keep him out for the full season if it doesn’t heal properly.
- Matthew Short (CSK) hurt his thumb and is still recovering. He’s supposed to join the squad on March 22. But being at the ground and being ready to play are different things. CSK will probably rest him for the opening matches.
How Franchises Are Adjusting?
Teams don’t just lose players when injuries happen. They lose the game plans built around those players.
SRH designed their attack around Pat Cummins leading from the front. Without him, they need a new approach. Who opens the bowling? Who closes out tight games?
RCB has the same issue with Josh Hazlewood. They wanted him and Mohammed Siraj to form a pace partnership.
Now they’re down to Siraj and whoever else can step up. That changes their strategy on batting-friendly pitches.
KKR’s situation is worse than most. Three pace bowlers are unavailable. Harshit Rana is out for the season.
Akash Deep is out for the season. Matheesha Pathirana misses the first game. If their backup options struggle or pick up knocks, KKR could be in serious trouble.
For teams with one or two absences, it’s manageable. Mumbai without Atharva Ankolekar? They’ll cope.
Delhi without Mitchell Starc for a few games? They’ll manage. But multiple injuries to the same department, like KKR’s pace attack? That’s when squads get stretched thin.
The timing makes it harder. Most of these injuries happened during or just before the T20 World Cup in February.
That’s barely a month before IPL 2026 starts. Recovery timelines for hamstring tears and surgeries don’t fit into that window.
Players need six to eight weeks minimum. The tournament doesn’t wait.
Tactical View: Squad Depth Gets Tested Early
Every franchise buys backup players at the auction. That’s normal planning. You expect one or two injuries during a two-month tournament.
But losing three or four players before the first ball is bowled? That’s not normal planning. That’s crisis mode.
Look at how it changes match-day decisions. RCB expected to have Josh Hazlewood for the tournament opener against SRH.
Without him, they need to pick between unproven backups or an extra spinner. Either choice is a compromise they didn’t want to make.
SRH faces a similar problem. Pat Cummins was supposed to captain and bowl at the death. Without him, someone else leads.
Someone else bowls the final over. That affects team chemistry and tactical execution. New captains make different decisions. New death bowlers handle pressure differently.
The psychological impact matters too. Players who weren’t expecting to start suddenly get thrust into important roles.
That’s an opportunity for some. It’s pressure for others. A backup pacer who thought he’d play a handful of games now has to deliver every match. That changes how he approaches his preparation and performance.
For opponents, it creates opportunities. If you’re playing KKR early and you know their pace attack is depleted, you target that weakness.
Load your lineup with players who score fast against medium pace. Push the game toward their weaker bowlers. Injuries don’t just affect the team that has them. They affect how everyone else plays against that team.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which teams have the most injuries?
KKR has been hit hardest with three pace bowlers unavailable. RR lost two overseas pacers. SRH is missing three players across different roles.
- Will Pat Cummins play any IPL 2026 matches?
Yes. He’ll miss SRH’s opening games due to a back injury but is expected to return once he’s fully recovered.
- Is there a chance Wanindu Hasaranga plays this season?
Maybe. LSG expects him to miss the first few games due to a hamstring injury. But if the injury doesn’t heal properly, he could miss the entire tournament.
- Why isn’t Mitchell Starc playing Delhi’s first games?
Starc isn’t injured. Cricket Australia is managing his workload before a long Test schedule. He’ll join DC after the opening phase.
- How many players are out for the full season?
Eight players won’t play at all: Harshit Rana, Sam Curran, Nathan Ellis, Jack Edwards, Atharva Ankolekar, Eshan Malinga, Adam Milne, and Akash Deep.
What does this all mean?
IPL 2026 starts with holes in every squad. Some teams lost their strike bowlers. Others lost all-rounders or middle-order depth.
A few lost their captains for the opening phase. The tournament will go ahead, but it won’t look like what the franchises planned for.
Fans buying tickets or setting fantasy teams need to know who’s actually playing.
There’s no point building a Dream11 squad around Josh Hazlewood if he won’t be on the field for another three weeks.
There’s no point expecting Pat Cummins to lead SRH from the start when he’s still recovering.
The broader question is whether this keeps happening every year. Players go from international tours to domestic leagues with almost no break. Bodies can’t handle it.
Hamstrings snap. Knees fail. The IPL 2026 injured players list is long because the calendar is packed. Until that changes, expect more of the same next season.
Also Check:
About the Author
