australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood Facing tough competition for fitness clearance ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League.
The star quick is reportedly still under the care of the physio and has not been cleared to join Royal Challengers Bangalore for their opening clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Hazlewood was instrumental in RCB winning the title, taking 22 wickets in 12 matches and being a reliable option for Bengaluru in the death overs. His absence will be greatly missed by 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 vase. He was included in Australia's squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, but was ruled out five days before the start of the tournament due to a calf injury. He has been dealing with hamstring, Achilles and calf injuries for the last few months.
Australia made a disappointing exit from the T20 World Cup after losing to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. Steve Smith was included in the squad as a replacement for Hazlewood in a rare disappointing campaign for the Australian team.
A source said that Hazlewood is still under the care of the physio and his participation in the IPL depends on whether he gets clearance or not.
“He is still under the care of the physio, and his participation in the IPL depends on whether he gets the clearance or not. There is still a lot of time, but it is a wait-and-see situation,” Hindustan Times reported.
Royal Challengers Bangalore have other overseas pace options like Nuwan Thusara and New Zealand's Jacob Duffy, but Hazlewood's absence leaves a big gap in the defending champions' plans.
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