Josh Hazlewood [Source: AFP]In a significant development, it has been understood that defending champions RCB will miss the services of ace speedster Josh Hazlewood in the initial phase of the IPL 2026. Hazlewood was a pivotal member of the RCB squad that clinched the IPL 2025 title with an emphatic victory over the Punjab Kings. The IPL 2026 schedule was released recently, and according to the released fixtures, RCB will cross swords against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their season opener. Ahead of the blockbuster clash, the Royal Challengers have suffered a massive setback, with Hazlewood's injury likely to sideline him from some matches. Josh Hazlewood yet to recover from injuryVeteran Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood missed the Ashes 2025 due to an Achilles injury. The right-arm pacer has sustained multiple injury setbacks of late, getting ruled out of several crucial assignments, including the Champions Trophy as well as the T20 World Cup. Although it was expected that Hazlewood would complete his rehabilitation before the T20 World Cup, the persistent fitness issues forced the Australian selectors to exclude him from the squad. Also read: RCB IPL 2026 Squad Analysis: Predicted Playing XI, SWOT And Expected FinishNow, with the IPL 2026 approaching, a report from CODE Sports has claimed that Josh Hazlewood is all set to be sidelined from RCB's initial few matches in the competition. Josh Hazlewood to miss at least 2 matches for RCBHazlewood has been one of the most significant players for Australia across all formats. However, the experienced cricketer's career has been jeopardised by frequent injuries of late. CODE Sports revealed that Hazlewood and Australia's Test and ODI captain, Pat Cummins, are currently being managed by Cricket Australia after missing plenty of crucial international assignments. The Australian board doesn't want to risk its ace speedsters, expecting them to play a key role for the national side in the Test series against Bangladesh in August. Hazlewood has yet to recover from the hamstring and Achilles injuries, which kept him out of the Ashes as well as the T20 World Cup 2026. His absence adversely affected Australia's T20 World Cup campaign, as the 2021-edition winners suffered an embarrassing group-stage elimination from the competition. The report claims that neither Hazlewood nor Pat Cummins is poised to make a comeback to competitive cricket before March 29. Therefore, Josh Hazlewood is likely to be ruled out of at least the first two matches of RCB, which the defending champions will play against SRH and CSK at their home ground, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Why is Josh Hazlewood's unavailability a huge concern for RCB?Led by Rajat Patidar, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru broke an 18-year IPL title drought, as they defeated Punjab Kings in the final to clinch their maiden trophy. Hazlewood emerged as their go-to man with the ball, scalping 22 wickets in 12 matches at a superb strike rate of 12. The RCB bowling unit looked toothless when Hazlewood missed some matches due to a shoulder injury. He is the linchpin of their bowling attack, and given that the formidable units of SRH and CSK can give them a run for their money, the Royal Challengers will feel the absence of their most reliable seamer across all phases in the IPL 2026. Also read: LSG IPL 2026 Squad Analysis: Predicted Playing XI, SWOT And Expected Finish
