IPL 2026: Key players missing out due to injuries

With the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season kicking off this weekend, some of the teams are struggling with injuries to key players. If crucial players miss even a handful of games, it can significantly affect a team’s chances of qualifying for the play-offs or even going all the way.

Ahead of the start of the 2026 IPL season, here we look at some key players who are missing due to injury.

Harshit Rana | Kolkata Knight Riders

Indian fast bowler Harshit Rana will be a major miss for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Rana sustained an unfortunate right-knee ligament injury during India’s warm-up match against South Africa ahead of the recent T20 World Cup, which ruled him out of that competition as well, with Mohammed Siraj brought in as a late replacement.

Rana’s injury was deemed serious enough to require surgery, which was successfully completed. The quickie is currently in rehab. This is a major blow for KKR, as he has been their prime bowler in the Powerplay and relied upon heavily for early wickets with his swing and pace. Additionally, he is a very handy batter lower down the order.

Currently, there is no update regarding when the 24-year-old will return, and there are concerns in the KKR camp that Rana might miss the entire IPL season. Initially, the franchise hadn’t sought a replacement as they felt they had enough options in the pace-bowling department, but they have since changed their stance and brought in Zimbabwean pacer Blessing Muzarabani to replace the injured Rana.

Patrick Cummins | SunRisers Hyderabad

Australia’s national team captain Pat Cummins is also currently sidelined with a back injury, which he suffered before the 2025/26 Ashes series.

Cummins has been suffering from a persistent lumbar bone stress injury in his lower back since August of last year and has missed a lot of competitive cricket in the months since, having missed a majority of the recent Ashes series and the entirety of the 2026 T20 World Cup.

The veteran Aussie quick is currently undergoing rehabilitation, with no return date specified. However, there is a hope that he may be able to return in a few weeks to lead the SunRisers in the back end of the campaign.

Cummins is not just SRH captain; he’s also a valuable asset with both ball and bat. His absence will definitely disrupt the balance of the SRH squad, as they are already a batting heavy side who will have to figure out how to get results without their lead bowler. In his absence, either Abhishek Sharma or Ishan Kishan could lead the SunRisers.

Josh Hazelwood | Royal Challengers Bengaluru

The defending champions will have to start the season without their game-changing opening quick, Josh Hazlewood.

The veteran pacer has been in and out of the Australian national side for a while now with injury niggles. He was ruled out of the recent T20 World Cup due to hamstring and Achilles problems and is still in recovery, though could be back in action sometime in April.

Hazlewood was an extremely important member of the RCB team that won the title last season. Even though he will be unavailable at the start of the season, the management will eagerly await his return.

As per reports, Hazlewood may return by April 10, in which case he’ll have missed only two games for his side, so his absence may not prove to be too much trouble for the Royal Challengers.

Matheesha Pathirana | Kolkata Knight Riders

Sri Lankan quickie Matheesha Pathirana is also dealing with injury concerns right now. An IPL winner with CSK, he has switched jersey colours ahead of 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, it looks like he may miss games due to a strain in his left calf. 

The 23-year-old sustained the injury during Sri Lanka’s 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, the Knight Riders would prefer to have Pathirana back as soon as possible given his great wicket-taking ability and death-overs prowess. 

While no recent updates have been provided regarding his return, KKR will be hoping Pathirana joins the squad as soon as possible given the particular lack of experience in their death-bowling department. 

Wanindu Hasaranga | Lucknow Super Giants

Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga is also out with injury and a doubt for the initial few games. Hasaranga was roped in by the Rajasthan Royals during the 2025 mega-auction. He hardly featured for RR, however, and was released before the mini-auction, during which LSG picked him up for his base price (INR 2 crore).

However, the wily off-spinner has been out of action after suffering a left-hamstring tear during the group stage game against Ireland at the 2026 T20 World Cup. Unfortunately, that ruled him out for the rest of the tournament; he is still recovering under physio care and is set to miss the start of the IPL season.

Though a return date hasn’t been specified, there is hope that the 28-year-old could return just a few games into the season. Guyanese spinner Gudakesh Motie is likely to join the Super Giants squad as his replacement, in case he ends up being out for a longer duration.