Starc and Hazlewood Set to Miss Start of IPL 2026
Mitchell Starc IPL 2026 availability is in doubt as the Australian pacer, along with Josh Hazlewood, is unlikely to feature in the opening matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.
Cricket Australia is closely managing the workload of its leading fast bowlers due to a packed international calendar, which has impacted the availability of several players.
Starc, who represents Delhi Capitals, and Hazlewood of Royal Challengers Bengaluru are among a growing list of Australian players expected to miss either part or the entire tournament.
Earlier, Pat Cummins was ruled out of the initial phase for Sunrisers Hyderabad, while Jack Edwards has been sidelined for the full season. Nathan Ellis, associated with Chennai Super Kings, is also expected to miss out due to a hamstring injury.
Injury concerns and recent workload
Cummins featured in just one Test during the Australian summer due to a stress-related back injury. That appearance came in the third Ashes Test in December and remains his only outing since Australia’s tour of the West Indies in July 2025.
Hazlewood, meanwhile, missed the entire Ashes series because of hamstring and Achilles issues. Although he briefly returned for selected white-ball matches against South Africa and India at home, as well as during the tour of New Zealand, and played a Sheffield Shield match in November, he has largely been out of action.
Starc, on the other hand, played a key role in the Ashes, featuring in all five Tests and claiming 31 wickets to earn the Player of the Series award, helping Australia secure a 4-1 victory.
He also participated in the latter stages of the Big Bash League season. Having retired from T20 Internationals, Starc was not part of Australia’s squad for the T20 World Cup held in India and Sri Lanka earlier this year, where the team exited in the first round.
Cummins and Hazlewood were also absent from that tournament.
Workload management ahead of busy schedule
Looking ahead, Australia are scheduled to play up to 21 Tests between August 2026 and July 2027, highlighting the importance of carefully managing the workload of their fast bowlers.
The IPL 2026 season is set to begin on March 28 and will run until late May, but several Australian stars may not be available for the early stages of the competition.
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