The list also includes two Australian players.
The defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have been hit by several injury concerns ahead of the IPL 2026 season. With a lot of action across domestic, franchise, and international cricket, players are picking up injuries, which is a worrying sign as the new season is set to begin towards the end of March.
RCB have one of the best and most settled squads for IPL 2026, but the team will be hoping that all players recover fully and regain fitness in time.
RCB opener Phil Salt was ruled out of ILT20 Qualifier 2 after struggling with a back injury. He looked uncomfortable a day before the match, and his absence has added to RCB’s growing injury concerns ahead of IPL 2026. Salt ended 2025 with 1575 runs in 52 innings at an average of 32.81 and a strike rate of 153.35, including 11 fifties and one century.
He is expected to recover quickly, as he has been selected in England’s provisional squad for the T20 World Cup 2026. If he is fit for the tournament, he should also be available for the IPL, as the World Cup will be played before the IPL season.
RCB skipper Rajat Patidar had a left knee niggle that kept him out for a short time. He recovered in time for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and received clearance from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence. However, he is not playing in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, possibly due to fitness, although Madhya Pradesh has not confirmed the reason.
In IPL 2025, Patidar scored 312 runs in 14 innings and played an important role in helping the team achieve glory. RCB will be hoping he stays fit and available for the full IPL 2026 season.
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Josh Hazlewood’s fitness continues to be a major concern. The Australian fast bowler got a hamstring injury in November 2025 during a Sheffield Shield match, which later became worse due to an Achilles tendon problem while he was recovering. These issues forced him to miss the remainder of the 2025–26 Ashes and shift his focus to the T20 World Cup 2026. Although he has been selected in the squad for the tournament, doubts about his full fitness remain.
Hazlewood played a key role for RCB in IPL 2025, taking 22 wickets in 12 matches. He finished the season as the team’s leading wicket-taker and third overall in the tournament.
Australia batter Tim David is facing a race against time to prove his fitness for the T20 World Cup after suffering a hamstring injury during the Hobart Hurricanes match against the Perth Scorchers. David injured his hamstring while running between the wickets and had to retire hurt on the advice of the medical staff. This is his second hamstring injury within a year, after a significant strain during the IPL 2025 that forced him to miss the playoffs. Although he has been selected in the T20 World Cup 2026 squad, his fitness remains a concern.
David was brilliant for RCB in IPL 2025, scoring 187 runs in six innings from the lower order at an average of 62.33 and a strike rate of 185.14. In 2025, he scored 1,231 runs in 46 T20 innings at an average of 39.70 and a strike rate of 172.89. He will be an important player for them in the next season, and the team will be hoping he recovers quickly.
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