Major IPL 2026 Boost For RCB: Josh Hazlewood Lands In Bengaluru Amid Injury Scare

Hazlewood Lands In Bengaluru (Source: AFP)

In a development which helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and their ardent fans breathe a huge sigh of relief, Josh Hazlewood landed in India for IPL 2026 amidst injury concerns.

The pacer from Australia, who missed out on the T20 World Cup 2026 due to troubling Achilles and hamstring injuries, was doubtful for IPL 2026.

With Nuwan Thusara ruled out of the entire edition and Yash Dayal not going to join the squad, RCB required Hazlewood to be available for the upcoming IPL to spearhead the pace department. And he did not disappoint, as the big and tall Australian landed in Bengaluru to help the franchise defend the title.

Josh Hazlewood Makes Himself Available For IPL 2026

Even though Hazlewood has joined the RCB squad for IPL 2026, it is still unclear when he will be available to play during the course of the competition. 

The reigning champions, meanwhile, are yet to confirm Hazlewood’s arrival, although fans across social media have confirmed the development on Thursday.

RCBIANS OFFICIAL

@RcbianOfficial

He's here 🐐

Having taken 22 wickets in 12 matches, Josh Hazlewood played an important role in RCB winning the IPL trophy last season.

Also Read: Virat Kohli Cheekily Compares RCB's 7 Crore Signing With South African Legend

He will be on a mission to defend the title, a feat that has been achieved by only two teams in the history of the competition (CSK in 2010 and 2011 and MI in 2019 and 2020).

Josh Hazlewood Injury: When Did He Suffer The Setback?

Hazlewood, now aged 35, did not play a single match in the last year’s Ashes, which began in November. Initially, he was ruled out of the first two Tests due to a hamstring injury.

Later on, he was out of the remaining three Ashes fixtures as well, courtesy of developing an Achilles injury.  

Hazlewood was last seen in action in November when the Sheffield Shield – Australia’s red-ball domestic competition – was happening. There, playing for New South Wales, Hazlewood went wicketless in the first innings, but got one wicket in the second, of Sam Harper.

RCB To Play SRH In IPL 2026 Opener

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will go up against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 opening fixture. The match will be played at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28.

The next three matches for Virat Kohli and his boys will be against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Mumbai Indians (MI).

Notably, only 20 IPL 2026 match schedules have been announced by the BCCI so far. The reason behind the phase-wise IPL schedule was the General Assembly Elections across three states in India.

With Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu all having Assembly Elections, and the dates not confirmed at the time, the BCCI had no choice but to delay the remainder of IPL 2026 schedule.

However, it will all be officially out soon.

Also Read: RCB Star Rewarded By National Cricket Board Days Before IPL 2026