Australian fast-bowler Josh Hazlewood faces a race against time for fitness clearance ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League.
The star quick is reportedly still under physio care and has not received the green light to join the Royal Challengers Bengaluru for their opening clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Hazlewood was a vital part of RCB’s romp to the title, picking up 22 wickets in 12 matches, being Bengaluru’s reliable option in the death overs. His absence would be a huge miss for the defending champions.
Hazlewood played his last match in the Sheffield Shield for New South Wales against Victoria in November 2025. He was then ruled out of the entire 2025-26 Ashes, where despite his absence, Australia dominated England, winning 4-1 and retaining the urn. He was added to Australia’s squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup but pulled out five days before the start of the tournament due to a calf injury. He has been facing hamstring, Achilles and calf injuries in the past few months.
Australia crashed out of the T20 World Cup in dismal fashion, after being beaten by Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. Steve Smith was added to the squad as Hazlewood’s replacement in a rare underwhelming campaign for the Aussies.
A source reported that Hazlewood was still under physio care and that his participation in the IPL is dependent on whether he gets the clearance or not.
“He is still under the physio care, and his participation in the IPL depends on whether he gets the clearance or not. There’s still plenty of time, but it’s a wait-and-watch situation for now,” as reported by the Hindustan Times.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have other overseas pace options like Nuwan Thusara and New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy, but Hazlewood’s absence leaves a substantial gap in the defending champions’ plans.
