RCB pacer rules out ahead of IPL 2026! Fresh photo provides hint

A positive update for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans, ahead of IPL 2026. Australia's star pacer Josh Hazelwood is likely to join the team soon. According to posts and information shared on social media platforms, Hazelwood has left Australia to join RCB in India.

Previous reports suggested that the premier pacer of Australia and RCB is about to miss multiple IPL matches in the initial stage of the IPL 2026 season. There are some doubts over the bowler’s fitness, as he went through a recovery phase to regain match fitness.

Why Josh Hazelwood is important for RCB in IPL 2026

Like the Australian cricket team, Josh Hazelwood is one of the key components of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Without his service, the franchise will lose his bowling strengths to some degree. He was one of the reasons why RCB claimed their maiden IPL title swiftly in 2025. In the previous camping for RCB, he claimed 22 wickets in 12 matches. In this season too, the seamer will have to take a significant role to defend the title, which the franchise earned after 18 years wait.

On March 20, through their official website, Cricket Australia informed that none of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood would be available for their franchises will all miss at least the start of the league.

Cricket Australia provided some crucial updates.

“If it were in reverse, the IPL was first, and the World Cup was second, then they'd be missing the IPL to play in the World Cup. It's not going to be frustrating for us at all. We know their commitment to want to play and succeed for Australia,” Australia selector Tony Dodemaide said last month on Cummins and Hazelwood’s participation in the 2026 Indian Premier League.

Read More: Watch: Official video leaked CSK's opening combination for IPL 2026

Hazelwood has been struggling with his injuries since last summer because of hamstring and Achilles issues. Like Cummins, the 35-year-old also missed the T20 World Cup 2026. Cricket Australia kept Hazelwood initially in their T20 WC squad. Later, as he did not recover from the injuries, he was ruled out of the entire tournament.

RCB director of cricket sheds light on the situation

In a recent statement, RCB director of cricket Mo Bobat has said that the pacer’s participation in the 19^th edition of the league is in the hands of the Australian cricket board, as Australia is heading towards a busy schedule ahead for the 2026-27 season. In the upcoming months, they will play multiple Tests and white-ball series in both home and away conditions. For those crucial contests, the board will definitely want to confirm the services of their top-performing players. Josh Hazelwood is among the key assets of Australia.

“So, as most people would know, Josh has missed quite a bit of cricket recently with injuries. So he's currently working through a return to play programme. He's doing that in Australia currently. We are liaising very closely with both Josh and Cricket Australia. And our medical teams are collaborating very strongly on a day-to-day basis on this programme,” Mo Bobat said.

“We'll continue to communicate with him. And as soon as he gets to a point where Cricket Australia is happy, he'll come over. And we hope to have him with us very soon,” he continued.