Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is in a race to regain match fitness for the upcoming IPL 2026, and things are not looking good for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The experienced fast bowler is suffering from hamstring and Achilles tendon problems.
Josh Hazlewood is likely to miss at least Royal Challengers Bangalore’s first two matches of the upcoming season. The Australian star has also been away from action for almost five months. This is a matter of big concern for RCB as Hazlewood is one of their key players.
Josh Hazlewood likely to miss opening matches for RCB
The defending champions are set to begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28, and everyone is talking about Hazlewood and his bowling attack, and the latest is Kris Srikkanth.
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The former India captain believes that Hazlewood’s absence at the start of the season is a big blow for the defending champions. Srikkanth has emphasized that the Australian fast bowler is not the kind of bowler who can be easily replaced, as he brings control, pressure and accuracy.
The former Indian chief selector has warned RCB that if Hazlewood is out for two weeks, they could make him miss three or four matches, and that could make a real difference to their chances of defending the title.
Josh Hazlewood’s absence is a big blow: Kris Srikkanth
In Josh’s absence, Jacob Duffy is likely to come into the playing eleven as cover, but Srikkanth is not sure whether he will be able to make the same impact in Indian conditions. RCB bought the Kiwi pacer for Rs 2 crore in the auction, but his T20 World Cup 2026 campaign was a nightmare, taking only three wickets in five matches and conceding a lot of runs.
Chris Srikkanth said in a video posted on his YouTube channel, “Josh Hazlewood’s absence is a big blow. Even if he was not fit for two weeks, it would have been over for him for three to four matches. Without him, his energy levels will drop. His entire bowling will be weak. None of his replacements can come to his level. Jacob Duffy is not a bad bowler. But he was thrashed in India in the World Cup. It remains to be seen whether he will be great in Indian conditions.” Can.”
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He further added, “But without Josh Hazlewood, 25% of RCB’s threat will be gone. He is not only a game-changer but also a match-winner. The fear he creates is similar to Bumrah. Hazlewood is brilliant at bowling Test match lengths where a batsman cannot move forward or backward.”
Srikkanth criticized Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s India
This situation will break the important partnership of Josh Hazlewood-Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He played a huge role in RCB’s first title win last season. Together they took 39 wickets and gave a strong start to the team with the ball.
Now, that balance has been disrupted, and Bhuvneshwar will have to handle even more responsibility, and the rest of the attack may also feel the pressure. Srikkanth signed off by saying, “He was different last year because RCB valued him after SRH left.
RCB made a great purchase of Bhuvneshwar as he is still one of the best. He has also been one of the best T20 bowlers for India. People have forgotten and thrown it away. He didn’t deserve it after a poor match in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-finals. Anyway, it was a bad match not just for him but for everyone.