IPL 2026: Players missing out due to injuries

With the Indian Premier League (IPL) set to commence from 28th March 2026, some of the teams are struggling with a couple of injuries to key players. If crucial players miss a few games or the entire season, it could affect a team’s chances to qualify for the play-offs or reduce their probability of winning a crucial knockout game.  

Here we take a look at five key players missing out due to injuries

Harshit Rana (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Indian fast bowler Harshit Rana will be a major miss for KKR in the 2026 IPL season. Rana sustained an unfortunate right knee ligament injury during the warm-up match against South Africa ahead of the 2026 World Cup which ruled him out of the competition with Mohammed Siraj being brought in as a late replacement. 

The injury was deemed serious enough to require a surgery which was successfully completed. The quickie is currently undergoing rehabilitation. This is a major blow for KKR as he has been their prime bowler in the powerplay and they have relied on him for early wickets with his swing and pace. Additionally, he is a very handy batter lower down the order. 

Currently, there is no update on his return and there was a strong concern in the KKR camp that Rana might miss the entire IPL season. The Kolkata franchise hadn’t sought a replacement earlier as they felt they had enough options in the pace bowling department to manage his absence. However, they changed their stance and have now brought in Zimbabwean pacer Blessing Muzarabani to replace the injured Rana. 

Patrick Cummins (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Australian Test team and Sunrisers Captain, Pat Cummins is also currently injured with a back injury suffered before the 2025/26 Ashes series. 

Cummins has been suffering with a persistent lumbar bone stress injury in his lower back since August 2025 and hasn’t played competitive cricket in months as he also missed a majority of the Ashes series and the 2026 T20 World Cup. 

The Aussie speedster is currently undergoing rehabilitation and there isn’t a set return date being specified as yet. However, there is a hope that he could miss the initial few matches of the IPL season and may return in a few weeks time. 

Cummins is not just the captain of SRH but also a valuable player both with the ball and the bat. His absence could definitely disrupt the balance of the SRH side as they are already a batting heavy side and not having their best bowler could prove to be a massive issue until he returns. 

In his absence, either Abhishek Sharma or Ishan Kishan could lead the Sunrisers for the initial few games.

Josh Hazelwood (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)

RCB’s opening pace bowler Josh Hazelwood is another key player out with injury. The defending champions will have to start the initial few games without their game-changing bowler. 

Aussie quickie Hazelwood has also been in and out of the Australian side for a while now with injury niggles. He was ruled out of the 2026 World Cup with a hamstring and Achilles problem. The pacer is still undergoing recovery but could be back in mid-April. 

Hazelwood was an extremely important member of the RCB team that won the title last season and even though he might not be able for a few games, his return would definitely boost the Bengaluru side. 

As per reports, he could make a return by 10th April, thereby only missing two games for his side so his absence might not be a major issue for the Bengaluru franchise. 

Matheesha Pathirana (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Sri Lankan quickie Matheesha Pathirana is also dealing with injury concerns right now. 

The IPL winner with CSK has switched jersey colours this season after four seasons with the yellow brigade. He was bought by KKR in the mini-auction held in December for a massive fee of INR 18 crore. However, Pathirana may miss games due to a calf strain on his left leg. 

He sustained the injury during the match against Australia in the group stage of the T20 World Cup and was instantly ruled out of the rest of the tournament. 

With Harshit Rana probably missing for the entire season, KKR would prefer to have Pathirana back as soon as possible as he provides a great wicket-taking ability along with his death-overs prowess. 

While no recent updates have been provided regarding his return, KKR will be hoping he joins the squad as soon as possible as they need Pathirana in order to have an experienced wicket-taking fast bowler in their lineup. 

Wanindu Hasaranga (Lucknow Super Giants)

Sri Lankan allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga is also out with injury and a doubt for the initial few games of the IPL season. 

Hasaranga had been bought by Rajasthan Royals in the 2025 mega-auction but hardly featured for RR and was released before the 2026 season. LSG picked him up for his base price (INR 2 crore) in the mini-auction in December 2025. 

However, the wily off-spinner is out of action as he suffered a left hamstring tear in the group phase game against Ireland at the 2026 T20 World Cup. Unfortunately, it ruled him out for the rest of the tournament. As a result, Hasranga is still recovering under physio care and could miss the beginning of the IPL season. 

Though a return date hasn’t been specified, there is hope that he could return after the initial few matches. West Indian spinner Gudakesh Motie could likely join the LSG squad as his replacement if he is out for a longer duration.