Indian Premier League or Injured Premier League? The IPL 2026 has been hit with a lot of body blows even before the tournament has even begun as many players are being ruled out of the tournament due to injury or are joining the team late due to the same reason. This totally disrupts the plans of all the teams going into the season but there is nothing the team can do about this.
The IPL starts on 28th March and a lot of players are facing a race against time to be fit for the tournament and there are some players who have already been ruled out of the tournament.
Let's have a look at all the injury updates in IPL 2026.
Harshit Rana
Kolkata Knight Riders were dealt a big blow ahead of IPL 2026 when their star pacer Harshit Rana was ruled out of the tournament due to a knee injury. He suffered the injury during a warm-up game against South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2026 and underwent a surgery in February.
Sam Curran
Rajasthan Royals have also suffered a major blow ahead of the tournament as their left-arm seam bowler, Sam Curran has been ruled out of the tournament due to a groin issue. Curran joined RR after a trade with Chennai Super Kings and now RR is left with Jadeja and Donovan Ferreira as their all-round options.
Nathan Ellis
CSK’s main bowler this season, Nathan Ellis has also been ruled out of IPL 2026 due to a hamstring injury. He was supposed to be CSK’s main death bowler this season but date has different plans and Chennai will have to look for a replacement.
Jack Edwards
Jack Edwards was poised to make his maiden IPL appearance with Sunrisers Hyderabad this season but he will not be appearing anymore as he has been ruled out due to an injury. The extent of the injury is not known yet.
Atharva Ankolekar
The Mumbai Indians player has been ruled out of IPL 2026 after suffering a knee injury in a Ranjit Trophy match against Hyderabad. Like Harshit Rana, he has also undergone surgery in February.
Lockie Ferguson
Lockie Ferguson will miss the initial stages of IPL 2026 for Punjab Kings as he is set to spend time with his family. Ferguson has just had a son and wants to prioritise spending time with his family before linking up with Punjab Kings during the latter half of the tournament.
Wanindu Hasaranga
Wanindu Hasaranga suffered a hamstring injury during the T20 World Cup 2026 and that has cast doubt on his participation in the IPL 2026 for Lucknow Super Giants. There is no clarity yet on his fitness and there has been no communication yet from SLC or LSG.
Matheesha Pathirana
Matheesha Pathirana suffered a calf strain during the T20 World Cup 2026 and was a doubtful starter for IPL 2026. There were reports that he might be ruled out and there were also reports of him not being granted an NOC by the Sri Lankan board. The latest is that he has received an NOC and will play IPL 2026.
Matthew Short
The Australian batter is under a big injury scare as he suffered a fractured thumb putting his availability for CSK in doubt. He was expected to appear in India on March 22 but looks unlikely with the injury.
Pat Cummins
The SRH skipper is set to miss the early stages of IPL 2026 as he continues his recovery from a lower-back stress injury. He played only 1 game in the Ashes and missed the entire T20 World Cup. In his absence, Ishan Kishan will lead the Sunrisers Hyderabad for the first few games and Abhishek Sharma will be his deputy.
Josh Hazlewood
Just like Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood will also miss the first few games for RCB in IPL 2026. He is still recovering from a hamstring injury and a subsequent Achilles complication which has kept him out since November 2025. He has not yet been cleared for travel and is still in Sydney undergoing recovery.
Eshan Malinga
Sunrisers Hyderabad are also sweating on the fitness of Eshan Malinga. He suffered a shoulder dislocation during the T20 World Cup 2026 which ruled him out of the rest of the tournament and there is no clear timeline on his return.
Mitchell Starc
Delhi Capitals’ plans have gone for a toss as Mitchell Starc is set to miss the early stages of IPL 2026. Injury is not a reason for this as Cricket Australia have given him a break to manage his workload.
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