But as franchises prepare for the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League, an increasing list of injured and unavailable players has taken over most news concerning them, with teams looking to adjust their combinations before a long and exhausting season. A tightly filled international schedule, including a T20 World Cup which just finished, has affected the players’ fitness and many of the squads have ended up thin even before the tournament kicks off.
The defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders look the worst affected so far, especially in pace-bowling department. Akash Deep has been ruled out of the season entirely after failing to recover from a lower-back stress injury. His absence adds to K.K.R.’s woes, with Harshit Rana also likely out for a majority, if not all, of the tournament after a knee operation. Sri Lankan sling bowler Matheesha Pathirana, on the other hand, will only come into the picture from mid-April as he recovered from a calf strain sustained during T20 World Cup.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins is currently out with a lumbar stress problem in his back that should see him back behind the stumps midway through the season. There has also been a setback to the franchise with Australian allrounder Jack Edwards being ruled out completely with a foot injury.
Rajasthan Royals will be without the services of England allrounder Sam Curran, who is ruled out for the entire season due to a suspected groin injury sustained following England’s campaign in the T20 World Cup. On top of that, Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood will miss the first few games as he continues his recovery from hamstring and Achilles complaints that also sidelined him during the Ashes.
In the Chennai Super Kings camp, pace bowler Nathan Ellis has been ruled out after aggravating a pre-existing hamstring injury in a domestic one-day final. The franchise is also monitoring star pacer Mitchell Starc’s availability, if the player joins his squad later in the tournament as Cricket Australia uses caution and keenly contagious the workload.
On the other hand, Punjab Kings will miss Lockie Ferguson at the start of the season. But he won’t be absent due to injury, the New Zealand speedster has instead chosen to spend time at home with his family following the birth of a baby.
Missing multiple key players or their availability, franchises will have to place heavy dependance on bench depth and youth. With the IPL 2026 on the horizon, overseeing the fitness and workload of players may be as important off-the-field as how they perform on it in regards to each franchise’s success.
Read also : KKR Eye Fresh Start in IPL 2026 After Russell Exit | Sri Lanka Players Must Clear Fitness Test for IPL 2026 NOC | KKR Injury Blow
