From Mitchell Starc to Matheesha Pathirana, 5 key players missing early IPL 2026 matches

Australia captain Pat Cummins, who leads SRH in the IPL, will miss the early part of 2026 season as he is still recovering from an injury that has kept him out this year.

Left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc will not be available for Delhi Capitals at the start of IPL 2026 as Cricket Australia looks to manage his workload.

Josh Hazlewood, who played an important role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru winning their first IPL title in 2025, will miss the first few matches of IPL 2026 due to fitness issues. He is likely to join the team before their match against Mumbai Indians on April 12.

New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson will miss the first seven league games for Punjab Kings to spend time with his wife and newborn son.

Matheesha Pathirana, who was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 18 crore, will not be available for the first two weeks of the IPL due to an injury he picked up during the T20 World Cup 2026. The development was confirmed by KKR’s head coach in a pre-season press conference on Mar 20.

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