Injured & Unavailable Players of IPL 2026 – Full Updated List

The IPL 2026 season begins on March 28, 2026, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) facing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. However, even before the tournament starts, injuries and player unavailability have already become a major talking point.

Several teams are dealing with weakened pace attacks, one franchise is without its captain, and multiple overseas players are unavailable due to injuries or personal commitments.

This guide provides the most complete and updated list of all injured and unavailable players for IPL 2026. Whether you're a fantasy cricket player or a passionate fan, this breakdown will help you stay informed.

Quick Snapshot: How Serious Is the Injury Situation?

Before diving into team-wise details, here’s a quick overview:

5 players are ruled out for the entire season

Several players will miss the opening matches

KKR are the most affected, losing key pacers

SRH will start without captain Pat Cummins

Australia is managing workloads of major players

IPL 2026 begins under significant fitness concerns

Complete List of Injured & Unavailable Players – IPL 2026

#

Player

Team

Status

Injury/Reason

1

Harshit Rana

KKR

Ruled Out (Season)

Knee surgery (T20 WC warm-up)

2

Matheesha Pathirana

KKR

Delayed (Mid-April)

Calf strain

3

Akash Deep

KKR

Ruled Out (Season)

Lower-back stress injury

4

Josh Hazlewood

RCB

Unavailable Early

Hamstring/Achilles recovery

5

Yash Dayal

RCB

Ruled Out (Season)

Personal reasons

6

Pat Cummins

SRH

Missing Early Matches

Back (lumbar stress) injury

7

Jack Edwards

SRH

Ruled Out (Season)

Foot injury

8

Eshan Malinga

SRH

Doubtful

Shoulder injury

9

Nathan Ellis

CSK

Ruled Out (Season)

Hamstring injury

10

Matthew Short

CSK

Missing Early Matches

Fractured thumb

11

Sam Curran

RR

Ruled Out (Season)

Groin injury

12

Mitchell Starc

DC

Missing Early Matches

Workload management

13

Ben Duckett

DC

Withdrawn

Personal decision

14

Lockie Ferguson

PBKS

Missing Early Matches

Paternity leave

15

Josh Inglis

LSG

Unavailable Early

Personal (wedding)

16

Atharva Ankolekar

MI

Ruled Out

Knee injury

Team-by-Team Injury Breakdown

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) – Worst Affected

KKR’s biggest strength, their pace attack has taken a major hit.

Harshit Rana is out for the season after knee surgery

Akash Deep also misses the season due to a back injury

Matheesha Pathirana will join only from mid-April

Replacements:

Mohammed Siraj replaces Rana

Saurabh Dubey replaces Akash Deep

KKR will rely heavily on backup bowlers early in the tournament

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) – Early Concerns

RCB face early setbacks despite being defending champions.

Josh Hazlewood will miss initial matches due to injury recovery

Yash Dayal is unavailable for the entire season

This weakens their pace attack at the start.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) – Captain Missing

SRH begin without their leader:

Pat Cummins will miss early games due to a back injury

Jack Edwards is ruled out for the season

Eshan Malinga remains doubtful

Leadership Update:

Ishan Kishan will captain

Abhishek Sharma is vice-captain

Replacement:

David Payne replaces Jack Edwards

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – Double Setback

CSK’s bowling unit takes a hit:

Nathan Ellis ruled out (hamstring injury)

Matthew Short misses early matches (thumb fracture)

Replacement:

Spencer Johnson replaces Ellis

Rajasthan Royals (RR) – Big Loss

Sam Curran is ruled out for the entire season due to a groin injury

Replacement:

Dasun Shanaka joins the squad

Delhi Capitals (DC) – Waiting Game

Mitchell Starc will miss early matches due to workload management

Ben Duckett has withdrawn to focus on Test cricket

DC will wait for Starc’s availability later in the season.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) – Temporary Absence

Lockie Ferguson is on paternity leave

Expected to join later in the tournament

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) – Personal Commitment

Josh Inglis will miss early matches due to his wedding

Mumbai Indians (MI) – Squad Impact

Atharva Ankolekar ruled out due to a knee injury

Official Replacement Signings

Player Out

Team

Replacement

Reason

Harshit Rana

KKR

Mohammed Siraj

Knee injury

Akash Deep

KKR

Saurabh Dubey

Back injury

Nathan Ellis

CSK

Spencer Johnson

Hamstring

Jack Edwards

SRH

David Payne

Foot injury

Sam Curran

RR

Dasun Shanaka

Groin injury

How Will This Affect IPL 2026?

KKR’s Bowling Crisis

KKR must depend on inexperienced bowlers early in the season, which could impact their campaign significantly.

SRH’s Leadership Challenge

Playing without Cummins forces SRH to adjust both leadership and team balance.

Australia’s Workload Strategy

Australia’s cautious approach with players like Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood affects multiple IPL teams.

Opportunity for Young Players

Injuries open doors for emerging Indian talent to prove themselves on a big stage.

FAQs

1. Which players are ruled out for IPL 2026?

 Harshit Rana, Akash Deep, Nathan Ellis, Sam Curran, and Jack Edwards.

2. Will Pat Cummins play IPL 2026?

 Yes, but he will miss the initial matches due to injury.

3. Who replaced Nathan Ellis at CSK?

 Spencer Johnson has been signed as his replacement.

4. Is Josh Hazlewood playing for RCB?

 Yes, but he will miss early matches.

5. Which team is worst affected by injuries?

 KKR are the most impacted with multiple key bowlers unavailable.

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