Josh Hazlewood Joins Royal Challengers Bangalore for IPL 2026

Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has officially joined the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) camp ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, the Bengaluru-based franchise confirmed on March 26 through their social media accounts.

Hazlewood’s addition is viewed as a significant enhancement to RCB’s bowling attack, given his extensive experience and success at both domestic and international levels. The franchise expressed excitement on Twitter: “This is not a drill. 🚨This is not a prank (well, the start of the reel was). 😂This is really happening. 🤩The one the entire RCB Nation wanted to see, has ARRIVED. 🔥HazleGOD is in ನಮ್ಮ’uru and we cannot contain our excitement!!! ❤️#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2026”

However, the defending champions will begin the tournament without their star pacer as Hazlewood continues to recover from hamstring and Achilles injuries. The right-arm fast bowler had previously missed the home Ashes series against England last year and was ruled out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup held in India and Sri Lanka.

Hazlewood played a major role in RCB’s maiden IPL title, taking 22 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 17.54 for the franchise.

Separately, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule for the second phase of IPL 2026 on March 26. The venues for the Playoffs will be disclosed later. The remainder of the league stage, encompassing 50 matches, is set to take place from April 13 to May 24 at 12 venues across India: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Dharamsala, Raipur, and New Chandigarh.

Earlier, the BCCI had revealed the schedule for the first phase, running from March 28 to April 12. The tournament will commence with defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. A total of 20 matches will be held at 10 venues during the first phase, including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad.

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