IPL’s defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), are facing a big setback right before the IPL 2026 opener. Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood, who anchored their title-winning bowling, is yet to get his medical clearance ahead of the first match on March 28. As of Friday, March 13, reports say that Hazlewood is back in Australia, getting intensive physio for nagging hamstring and Achilles injuries. As things are going, it’s not looking great for RCB’s pace attack right now.
Why Hazlewood’s IPL 2026 Participation is “Wait-and-Watch”?
The uncertainty over Hazlewood’s availability arises from a complex recovery schedule after several physical issues in a row. The right-arm seamer has not played since November 2025, when he first suffered a right hamstring strain during a match for New South Wales. Although he was expected to get back in time for the home Ashes series, a new Achilles tendon injury was discovered during his rehab, which not only kept him out of the entire five-Test series but also the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Get well soon Josh Hazlewood 😌 pic.twitter.com/zWEGr7KiZx
— RCB TWEETS (@fcRCBtweets) March 12, 2026
At present, Hazlewood is still in the care of Cricket Australia’s medical team in Sydney. His playing in the IPL will depend entirely on the formal “go-ahead” from these experts. Though in theory, “there is plenty of time” before the tournament gets to the business end, his missing the opening weeks is becoming more and more likely. RCB management is said to be keeping a close eye on the matter, but at present, they are “wait-and-watch” while the “Hoff” struggles to get back to match fitness.
Impact on RCB
The absence of Hazlewood would significantly weaken the RCB bowling lineup. The New South Wales-born player was the star player in their championship-winning team of the 2025 season, claiming 22 wickets in 12 games. His knack for maintaining a “hard length” and giving his team crucial breakthroughs during both the powerplay and death overs was the key tactical element of their success.
RCB Pace Options if Hazlewood is Absent:
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Nuwan Thushara: The Sri Lankan “slinger” provides wicket-taking flair but lacks Hazlewood’s metronomic consistency.
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Jacob Duffy: The New Zealand international is a reliable backup but has yet to be tested as a primary IPL spearhead.
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Bhuvneshwar Kumar: The veteran will have to shoulder an even greater workload in the early stages of the tournament.
