IPL 2026 Injury Tracker: Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood To Miss Opening Phase; Sam Curran Ruled Out

Tournaments like IPL rarely begins without a few last-minute headaches, and the upcoming season is no different. Even before the start of the league, multiple teams are already dealing with injury concerns that could shape their early-season plans.

Fast bowlers, once again, are taking the biggest hit. With a packed international calendar leading into the tournament, several key names have either been ruled out or are struggling to regain match fitness. That naturally affects balance, especially for teams heavily dependent on overseas pacers.

Timing is what hurts the most. Injuries so close to the season leave little room to experiment, forcing teams to look at replacement options quickly. Some have already made moves, while others are waiting for final medical updates before deciding.

With that, here’s a day-wise tracker of all major injury updates and replacements ahead of IPL 2026.

Friday, March 13: Harshit Rana injury sets early tone for IPL concerns

The first major setback dates back to early February, when Harshit Rana picked up a knee injury during the T20 World Cup build-up and underwent surgery soon after. At that stage, there were already doubts about his availability for IPL 2026, and it slowly became clear that recovery wouldn’t be straightforward.

And on March 13, Kolkata Knight Riders’ concerns turned into confirmation. Harshit Rana was ruled out of IPL 2026, becoming one of the first players to be officially sidelined for the entire tournament. It immediately left KKR short in their pace department, forcing them to consider replacements.

However, that isn't the only injury concern for the three-time champions as Matheesha Pathirana was still in rehabilitation and hadn’t joined up with his IPL side, raising doubts over his participation in the early part of the season.

Tuesday, March 17: Hazlewood and Cummins set to miss opening phase

Royal Challengers Bengaluru were dealt a blow with Josh Hazlewood unlikely to be available for the first few games due to ongoing fitness issues. The right-arm pacer was confirmed to miss at least the opening matches for RCB.

Sunrisers Hyderabad face a similar situation, with Pat Cummins also expected to miss the opening matches as he continues recovery from a back injury. The star all-rounder was also unlikely to feature in the early games for SRH as he continued recovery.

Both teams now have early-season selection headaches, especially around their overseas combinations.

Tuesday, March 17: LSG hit by multiple injuries; Hasaranga, Mayank Yadav among doubtfuls

Lucknow Super Giants are among the most affected teams. Wanindu Hasaranga is doubtful with a hamstring injury, while Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan are also dealing with fitness concerns.

LSG have already looked at cover options, with Gudakesh Motie brought in as a backup for Hasaranga.

Tuesday, March 17 (later): More names added as injury list grows

SRH's Eshan Malinga was also being monitored. There were also reports of Atharva Ankolekar being ruled out, adding to the growing number of absentees.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals pacer Adam Milne has also been ruled out due to injury, adding another name to the growing list.

At this stage, multiple franchises, including KKR, RCB, SRH, and LSG, were dealing with at least one major injury concern.

Thursday, March 19: Nathan Ellis Ruled Out

Chennai Super Kings have suffered a setback ahead of IPL 2026, with Nathan Ellis ruled out for the entire season after picking up a hamstring injury during training. The Australian pacer is not expected to recover in time, a development confirmed by CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan. His absence creates a significant void in the bowling attack, particularly in the death overs where he was set to play a crucial role.

The franchise is yet to announce the replacement for the bowler.

Friday, March 20: Mitchell Starc Likely To Miss Opening Phase For DC

In what is definitely going to be a significant blow for the Delhi Capitals, their senior Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, who costed them INR 11.75 Crores, will miss the opening phase of the tournament.

It is being said that Starc's participation in IPL 2026 depends on his progress in return-to-play protocols over the coming few weeks. Even if the veteran Australian misses the first-half of the season, then it will be a huge blow for the Delhi Capitals, who will chase their maiden title this year.

England all-rounder Sam Curran has also been ruled out of the entire Indian Premier League season for the Rajasthan Royals due to a suspected injury.

Sunday, March 22: Dasun Shanaka To Replace Sam Curran In RR

Sri Lanka skipper and all-rounder Dasun Shanaka will reportedly replace the injured Sam Curran in the Rajasthan Royals squad. The move would make Shanaka the latest cricketer to switch from the PSL to the IPL after Zimbabwe seamer Blessing Muzarabani withdrew from his contract with Islamabad United to join Kolkata Knight Riders as a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman.