Franchises concerned over Australian pacers ahead of IPL

Several franchises have suffered a major setback ahead of the start of IPL 2026. Australia’s two premier fast bowlers, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, are unlikely to be available for the first few matches of the tournament. Cricket Australia (CA) is currently managing their workloads, keeping the busy international schedule in mind.

As a result, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru will miss two of their key bowlers at the start of the tournament. Starc represents Delhi, while Hazlewood is part of the Bengaluru squad.

The list of unavailable Australian players is also growing steadily. Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins was ruled out of the start of the tournament. His teammate Jack Edwards has been ruled out of the entire season. Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings’ Nathan Ellis is also expected to miss out due to a hamstring injury.

Cummins and Hazlewood have both been dealing with injuries in recent months. Cummins played just one Test in the Ashes series, which was the third Test in December. On the other hand, Hazlewood missed the entire Ashes due to hamstring and Achilles issues, although he later featured in a few matches against South Africa and India at home, as well as on the New Zealand tour.

Meanwhile, Starc played a key role in Australia’s success in the Ashes. He picked up 31 wickets in five matches, earning the Player of the Series award and helping his team secure a 4-1 victory. The left-arm pacer also featured in the Big Bash League towards the end of the season. However, he did not play in the recent T20 World Cup after retiring from T20 internationals.

Looking ahead, Australia faces a packed cricket calendar. The team is scheduled to play up to 21 Tests between August 2026 and July 2027. Therefore, the board is taking a cautious approach to managing the fitness and workload of its fast bowlers.

The IPL 2026 is set to begin on March 28 and will run until the end of May.