IPL 2026 Injury Tracker: Four Franchises Hit by Bowling Setbacks With 10 Days Until the Opener
RCB host Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28 to get the season underway, and both teams will take the field without key bowlers. They are not alone. KKR and Mumbai Indians are also nursing casualties that will alter their planning for the opening weeks.
Cummins' back keeps SRH guessing
Pat Cummins has been managing a lumbar bone stress injury since July 2025. The problem flared up again during the Ashes 2025-26 series. He has not been fully fit since, and reports suggest he is unlikely to be ready for the opening fixtures. That leaves SRH without their captain and spearhead. Ishan Kishan is expected to lead the side in Cummins' absence, with Abhishek Sharma also in the conversation for the captaincy role.
Hazlewood racing the clock at RCB
Josh Hazlewood was one of the most important players in RCB's title-winning campaign in IPL 2025, picking up 22 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 17.54. This time around, hamstring and Achilles problems have kept him out of competitive cricket for roughly five months. He is expected to miss at least the first two matches. For a side defending their title, losing that calibre of bowler in the early rounds creates a hole that is difficult to fill.
Harshit Rana's season may already be over
KKR face the most severe blow. Harshit Rana suffered a ligament strain in his right knee during India's T20 World Cup warm-up match against South Africa, bowling just one over before leaving the field. He underwent surgery in February and the BCCI medical team has not set a firm return date. The expectation is that he could miss most or all of IPL 2026. KKR are reportedly working to sign a replacement, with Simarjeet Singh among the candidates being considered. That decision will be closely watched by a franchise that viewed Rana as a frontline weapon.
Mumbai lose Ankolekar before a ball is bowled
Mumbai Indians left-arm spinning all-rounder Atharva Ankolekar was ruled out of the entire season after tearing his meniscus during a Ranji Trophy match against Hyderabad in January 2026. He was fielding at long-on when he slid to save a boundary and damaged his knee. Surgery followed at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai, and recovery has ruled him out completely. Mumbai bought Ankolekar for 30 lakh rupees at the December 2025 auction, and this would have been his maiden IPL season.
What it means for the opening weeks
SRH and RCB face each other in the very first match of the tournament, and both go in weakened. How KKR handle Rana's absence, whether through an external signing or internal cover, will be one of the key storylines of the opening weeks. Mumbai's loss of Ankolekar is less about raw impact and more about depth; they lose a versatile option before the season has started.
IPL squads are deep enough to absorb individual losses. Whether these teams can absorb several at once and still compete from the start is a different question. In a tournament where early momentum often separates playoff contenders from the rest, the next 10 days of fitness updates matter as much as any tactical planning.
