IPL 2026 is knocking on the door, but several franchises are still sweating over the absence of some of their high-profile players—either for the initial phase of the tournament or for the entirety of it—and their replacements.
The IPL 2026 is set to kick off on March 28. The absences are primarily due to a mix of long-term injuries, workload management by national boards, and personal reasons. Leading the list are three leading Australian pacers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
Here is a look at the players missing out, reasons and their potential replacements.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Nathan Ellis (Australia):
The right-arm pacer has been ruled out for the entire season due to a hamstring injury. This is a major blow as he was expected to be their primary death-overs specialist. The shortlisted names for replacement include Ottneil Baartman (South Africa), Sean Abbott (Australia), and Gerald Coetzee (South Africa).
NOTE: Matheesha Pathirana (Sri Lanka) was expected to miss the initial phase with a hamstring injury, but has been declared fit by the Lankan cricket board and cleared to play in the IPL 2026.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Pat Cummins (Australia):
The SRH captain will miss the opening matches as his is still recovering from a lower back (lumbar stress) injury. In his absence, Ishan Kishan has been named the stand-in captain.
Jack Edwards (Australia):
The seam bowling all-rounder has been ruled out for the entire season with a foot injury. SRH is yet to announce a formal replacement for the uncapped all-rounder.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Harshit Rana (India):
The pacer has been ruled out for the entire season. He underwent a knee surgery in February 2026 following a ligament strain suffered during a T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up match. KKR have reportedly invited Simarjeet Singh, K.M. Asif, and Sandeep Warrier for trials to fill this domestic pacer slot.
Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh):
Unavailable for the entire season. Despite being fit, he was reportedly not granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) by the BCB due to diplomatic/administrative reasons. KKR have signed Blessing Muzarabani as his replacement.
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
Sam Curran (England):
The all-rounder has been ruled out for the entire season due to a groin injury. Curran was a key player for RR this year following a trade deal involving Sanju Samson. Potential candidates to replace him include Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka) and Gus Atkinson (England).
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Josh Hazlewood (Australia):
The pace spearhead is set to miss the initial phase (likely the first two weeks). He is recovering from persistent hamstring and Achilles issues that have kept him out of competitive cricket for several months. No replacement has been signed yet as the team expects him to join the camp in April.
Delhi Capitals (DC)
Mitchell Starc (Australia):
The left-am star pacer is set to miss the early stages of the tournament. Cricket Australia is managing his workload strictly ahead of a dense 12-month international schedule. No replacement has been signed yet.
Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand):
The Kiwi pacer will miss the first few weeks of the season. He has chosen to stay in New Zealand to spend time with his family following the birth of his son.
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Atharva Ankolekar (India):
He has been ruled out for the entire season after tearing his meniscus during a Ranji Trophy match in January.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka):
The spinner is still recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during the recent T20 World Cup, and is likely to miss the start of the season. West Indies spinner Gudakesh Motie's name is doing the rounds as a potential replacement.