In cricket, injuries are common. But in IPL 2026, it is not at all common. This has gone past the normal mark. Day by day, cricketers’ IPL 2026 injury updates are coming out from different franchises. Till now, 13-14 players have been affected. Many of the players are out of most of the matches, while some of them are ruled out for the entire season.
The tournament is starting on March 28, and teams are already sweating. Some franchises have lost their captains. Some have lost their key bowlers. And some are still searching for replacements with just days left.
Let’s check all the injured players of IPL 2026 and their replacements in this Spin24Star post.
Quick Look at Injured Player and Replacement
| Player | Franchise | Role | Injury/Reason | Replacement |
| Harshit Rana | KKR | Bowler | Knee Surgery (Out of Season) | Not Announced Yet |
| Mitchell Starc | DC | Bowler | Workload Management (To miss early games) | Will Return Mid-Season |
| Sam Curran | RR | All-Rounder | Groin Injury (Out of Season) | Dasun Shanaka |
| Pat Cummins | SRH | All-Rounder | Back Injury (To miss early games) | Will Return Mid-Season |
| Josh Hazlewood | RCB | Bowler | Hamstring/Achilles (To miss early games) | Not Announced Yet |
| Nathan Ellis | CSK | Bowler | Hamstring Injury (Out of Season) | Spencer Johnson |
| Matheesha Pathirana | KKR | Bowler | Calf Strain (To miss early games) | Not Announced Yet |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | LSG | All-Rounder | Hamstring Injury (Doubtful for season) | Gudakesh Motie (Possible) |
| Lockie Ferguson | PBKS | Bowler | Parental Leave (To miss early games) | Will Return After 5-6 Games |
| Jack Edwards | SRH | All-Rounder | Unspecified Injury (Out of Season) | Not Announced |
| Eshan Malinga | SRH | Bowler | Shoulder Injury (Doubtful for season) | Not Announced |
| Matthew Short | CSK | All-Rounder | Fractured Thumb (To miss early games) | Will Join Mid-Season |
| Akash Deep | KKR | Bowler | Groin & Back Injury (Out of Season) | Not Announced Yet |
| Atharva Ankolekar | MI | All-Rounder | Knee Injury (Out of Season) | Not Announced |
Team Wise IPL 2026 Injury Update
Let’s discuss which team has been most impacted by the injury and what replacement they made.
1. Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR is the most affected team, especially in the case of bowlers. Earlier, they removed Mustafizur Rahman due to the Bangladesh controversy. Now the key bowlers of the team are falling one by one.
- Harshit Rana: The young pacer underwent knee surgery and is out for the entire season. He got this injury during a T20 World Cup warm-up game.
- Matheesha Pathirana: The Sri Lankan slinger was bought for Rs 18 crore but is still waiting for NOC from his board. He has a calf strain and will miss the early games.
- Akash Deep: The Indian pacer has been ruled out for the season due to groin and back issues. He never reported to the KKR camp and has been rehabbing at the CoE in Bengaluru.
KKR has not announced any replacement yet for these three players. The management says they are evaluating options before making a decision.
2. Sunrisers Hyderabad
Hyderabad has lost its captain, Cummins. However, he will not be ruled out and will be back soon. Till then, Ishan Kishan will lead the side.
- Pat Cummins: The Australian captain has a back injury and will miss the initial games. He missed four Ashes Tests and the T20 World Cup because of this .
- Jack Edwards: The Australian all-rounder will miss the entire season with a foot injury. He was set to make his IPL debut.
- Eshan Malinga: The Sri Lankan pacer is doubtful for the season due to a shoulder issue.
SRH has not announced replacements for Edwards and Malinga yet. But with Brydon Carse and others in the squad, they have some cover.
3. Chennai Super Kings
One of the most successful teams of IPL is also affected by injuries. The key Australian bowler of the team, Ellis, is out, and Short will miss the early games.
- Nathan Ellis: The death overs specialist, is ruled out with a hamstring injury. CSK bought him for Rs 2 crore in the auction. They have signed Spencer Johnson as his replacement. Johnson was unsold at his base price of Rs 1.50 crore.
- Matthew Short: The Australian all-rounder has a fractured thumb. He will miss the first few matches but is expected to join mid-season.
With Short out, CSK may rely on their other overseas options like Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, and Noor Ahmad for the early games.
4. Delhi Capitals
Delhi got a big blow before the season. Mitchell Starc will not be part of the initial games due to workload management. He can join the team in the middle of the season.
DC has other overseas pacers like Lungi Ngidi, Dushmantha Chameera, and Kyle Jamieson. They also have Indian pacers like Mukesh Kumar and T Natarajan. So they may not need a replacement.
5. Rajasthan Royals
RR had traded Sanju Samson to CSK and brought Jadeja and Sam Curran in exchange. But before Sam could make any impact, he got ruled out due to injury.
The team has replaced him with Dasun Shanaka, the Sri Lankan captain. Shanaka was playing in PSL for Lahore Qalandars but pulled out to join RR.
6. Royal Challengers Bengaluru
The key pace bowler of the defending champion, Hazlewood, is also injured and will miss the early games. He has a hamstring and Achilles issue. RCB has not announced any replacement yet. They may wait and see how his recovery goes before making a decision.
7. Lucknow Super Giants
From LSG, Sri Lankan spinner Hasaranga is also facing injury. He got this during the T20 World Cup.
LSG may look for a replacement if he is ruled out. Gudakesh Motie, the West Indies left-arm spinner, could join LSG in his place.
8. Punjab Kings
Lockie Ferguson is also facing injury. He has a left leg issue and will be missing the initial 5-6 games. PBKS does not need a replacement, as he will return mid-season.
9. Mumbai Indians
Atharva Ankolekar was bought by MI for Rs 30 lakh and was set to make his IPL debut. But due to a serious knee injury, he has been ruled out. MI has not announced its replacement yet.
Salary to Replacement Player
Now what happens to the injured player’s salary? Do they still get it? And how much does the new guy get?
The rules are simple. If a player is ruled out before or during the season, they still get their full contracted salary. The franchise pays them as per the agreement.
For the replacement player, the IPL rules say the fee cannot exceed the salary of the injured player being replaced. So if a player bought for Rs 2 crore gets injured, the replacement can get up to Rs 2 crore, not more.
IPL 2026 Injured Player Replacement Deadline
Is there any deadline for replacement players? The answer is no. Even in mid-season, if someone gets injured and is ruled out, a new player can join the squad. There is no cutoff date.
For example, last season, CSK brought Dewald Brevis as a mid-season replacement for injured Gurjapneet Singh.
Conclusion
IPL 2026 has seen an unusual number of injuries even before a single ball is bowled. KKR is the worst hit with three bowlers ruled out or unavailable. SRH and CSK are also struggling with multiple absentees.
But the IPL is known for finding talent in tough times. Some young players will get opportunities because of these injuries. And that is what makes the tournament exciting.
For more such cricket news and IPL 2026 injury updates, keep following Spin24Star.
FAQs
- 1) How many players are injured in IPL 2026?
Ans: Around 14 players have been affected by injuries or unavailability ahead of IPL 2026.
- 2) What happens with the injured players?
Ans: They do not play any game until they recover. However, they still get the amount.
- 3) Who replaced Sam Curran in the Rajasthan Royals?
Ans: Dasun Shanaka, the Sri Lankan captain, has replaced Sam Curran in RR.
- 4) Will Pat Cummins play IPL 2026?
Ans: Yes, but he will miss the initial games due to a back injury. Ishan Kishan will captain SRH in his absence.
