Hazlewood has not played a game since November.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will head into the IPL 2026 as the defending champions for the first time ever in the history of the league. However, they have a massive headache ahead of the season. Will Josh Hazlewood be fit for IPL 2026 is the biggest question that is staring at RCB.
The Australian pacer was pivotal in the franchise clinching their maiden IPL title in the 2025 edition. But Josh Hazlewood fitness is now under the scanner as the pacer has not played a competitive game since November. So will Josh Hazlewood play IPL 2026?
Last updated: Feb 18, 2026
The premier RCB pacer suffered a hamstring injury in November 2025 during the Sheffield Shield for New South Wales, missing the start of the Ashes 2025.
Later during his recovery, he sustained an Achilles injury, and had to miss the entirety of the series. He was expected to be fit for the T20 World Cup 2026, and was included in the squad.
However, he was ruled out of the tournament on February 16, with Steve Smith named as his replacement. Unfortunately for Australia, their campaign effectively ended on the same day.
As per the latest injury update, there is no specific timeline for Josh Hazlewood return date. Announcing his T20 World Cup unavailability, Australia selector Tony Dodemaide revealed that the pacer is still some time away from returning to action.
“We were hopeful Josh would be back to match fitness by the Super 8 stage. But the latest indications he is still some time away and accelerating his program will carry too much risk,” said Dodemaide.
Given his track record with injuries, the Australian team management is likely to be careful with his fitness. Will Josh Hazlewood be fit for IPL 2026? There is no certain answer for that question as of now.
3 Players Who Might Replace Josh Hazlewood in RCB Squad if He is Ruled Out of IPL 2026
The Josh Hazlewood RCB partnership worked like a wonder in the previous edition. He claimed 22 wickets from just 12 games at an economy of 8.77, often breaking the game open for his side.
Will Josh Hazlewood play for RCB? If the answer is no, the reigning champions have to keep a back-up plan ready.
The RCB IPL 2026 squad has two other overseas pace options in Nuwan Thushara and Jacob Duffy. Thushara was part of their title-winning squad as well, where he featured in one game with figures of 1 for 26. Duffy is a new addition after RCB acquired him for a base price of INR 2 crore.
The New Zealand pacer is tall, and has the ability to move the ball both ways. He has been exceptional in the shorter format, turning his potential into performance. He has taken 62 wickets from 47 T20Is at an economy of 7.96. He is the ideal backup for Josh Hazlewood and RCB have done well to secure his services.
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