7 teams are suffering from injuries

Heading into IPL 2026, 7 teams are suffering from injuries. Many players have been ruled out of some or all of the games because of injuries. This has been an especially hectic year for T20s, with a World Cup concluding just weeks ago, and a bevy of franchise leagues that players in demand rang in the new year with. Here is a comprehensive look at the strained muscles and broken bones that each franchise has to contend with.

Kolkata Knight Riders

7 teams are suffering from injuries, among them, the Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR) is one of the major teams suffered from injuries.

Akash Deep – He was the latest of their bowlers to be ruled out of the tournament, owing to a lower-back stress injury he failed to recover from in time.

Harshit Rana – The Indiana fast bowler is set to miss a bulk of, if not the entire season, as he recovers from a knee surgery.

Matheesha Pathirana – He will only be available from mid-April, due to a calf strain he picked up during the recent T20 World Cup

Key Injury Impacts:

• Pace Attack Depleted: The loss of Harshit Rana and Akash Deep removes major wicket-takers from their 2024 campaign.
• Pathirana Delay: Matheesha Pathirana is expected to miss the start of the season, requiring reinforcements for the early games.
• Replacement Pressures: KKR has brought in Blessing Muzarabani for Mustafizur Rahman (released for, now out) and Navdeep Saini for Rana, putting pressure on depth players to fill major roles.
• Bowling Balance: Coach Abhishek Nayar admitted that replacing Rana will be difficult, placing extra pressure on spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy.
• Foreign Player Issue: Matheesha Pathirana’s unavailability and Cameron Green’s restricted bowling availability (initially listed as a specialist batter) disrupt the team’s foreign player balance.

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad is also one of the 7 teams suffering from injuries. Here are given list of players who can miss IPL by injuries.

Pat Cummins – SRH’s regular captain is recuperating from a lumbar stress issue in his back. He is expected to return midway through the tournament.

Jack Edwards, the Australian all-rounder, has been ruled out of the entire tournament due to a foot injury.

Key Injury and Impact Analysis:

• Pat Cummins’ Absence: The regular captain is nursing a lumbar stress issue, with plans to return midway through the tournament, leaving the team with a leadership vacuum early on.
• Temporary Captaincy: Ishan Kishan is likely to lead the side in the initial, crucial, and high-pressure matches, with support from Abhishek Sharma.
• Key Absences: All-rounder Jack Edwards is out, disrupting team balance.
• Concerns over Team Composition: Analysts, including Robin Uthappa, have raised concerns that the squad lacks depth, relying too heavily on top-order batting, and may struggle to secure wins due to a weakened bowling attack in home conditions

Rajasthan Royals

Sam Curran – The England all-rounder is also ruled out of the entire season. He is suspected of having picked up a groin issue in the aftermath of his run with England till the semi-final of the T20 World Cup. Dasun Shanaka pulled out of the PSL to replace him.

Sam Curran has picked up what is suspected to be a groin issue•Getty Image.s

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Josh Hazlewood – The Australian quick will not be with the team for the first few matches either, having been out of action for most of these last few months. He missed the entirety of the Ashes because of hamstring and Achilles issues, which he has still not fully recovered from.

Key details regarding Hazlewood’s 2026 IPL status:

• Status: Retained by RCB, but recovering from injury.
• Absence: Ruled out of the first few games, including the opener vs SRH.
• Return Plan: He is working with Cricket Australia medical staff to manage his return.
• Recent Injury History: Suffered a hamstring injury in November 2025 and Achilles soreness in 2025.

As of late March 2026, he was reported to be training with RCB’s strength and conditioning coach

Chennai Super Kings

Nathan Ellis – The Australian fast bowler was ruled out after aggravating an old hamstring injury in the domestic One-Day Cup final.

Delhi Capitals

Mitchell Starc – He is likely to link up with the franchise at some point in the season. Cricket Australia is monitoring his workload ahead of what is expected to be a busy international cricket calendar.

Key Impacts on Delhi Capitals:

• Weakened Bowling Spearhead: Starc took 14 wickets in 11 games last season and was a pivotal part of the Delhi bowling attack. His injury, managed by Cricket Australia, leaves a void in the pace department.
• Rotation and Strategy Changes: DC must now adjust their team composition to compensate for the lack of a left-arm pace option in the early fixtures, impacting their ability to strike early.
• Replacement Reliance: The team will likely rely on other overseas quicks, putting pressure on them to perform early in the tournament.
• Rehabilitation Focus: Starc is in communication with the team and expects to join later, requiring DC to manage their pace attack carefully in his absence.

Punjab Kings

Lockie Ferguson – He will miss the early parts of the tournament after prioritising time at home, which he wants to spend with his family and a newborn son. He is fit otherwise.

Impact on Punjab Kings (PBKS):

Search for Replacements: The Punjab Kings are now forced to explore alternatives, with players like Xavier Bartlett and other options within the squad

Weakened Bowling Attack: Ferguson, who had taken five wickets in four matches, was a crucial part of the PBKS pace department. His injury leaves the team with only one other overseas fast bowler, Xavier Bartlett.

Forced Adjustments: The injury happened during a match where PBKS had already used an Impact Player substitution, leaving them a bowler short and disrupting their strategy, as seen in the game against SRH.

Further Absences: The injury is the third in a short period for Ferguson, following a hamstring issue earlier in the year, casting doubt on his ability to contribute to the rest of the season.