RCB Faces Mumbai Indians Without Hazlewood in IPL Showdown

In a pivotal IPL 2026 match, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will clash with Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium, missing key player Josh Hazlewood. After a disappointing loss to Rajasthan Royals, RCB aims to regain momentum. Hazlewood's absence raises questions about his fitness management following a long recovery. The article details both teams' lineups and the implications of Hazlewood's situation, providing insights into the match dynamics. Fans are eager to see if RCB can overcome this challenge and secure a victory against the formidable MI.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 12, 2026, 19:38 IST

RCB's Challenge Against Mumbai Indians

In a crucial match of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will take on Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, but they will be without the services of Josh Hazlewood. The team, led by Rajat Patidar, is eager to bounce back after suffering their first loss of the season against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 10 in Guwahati. Hazlewood made his return to competitive cricket after a long hiatus since November during the match against RR, but his performance was not up to par. He conceded 44 runs in four overs, although he did manage to claim two wickets, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hitting him for 18 runs off his first four deliveries.

Reason for Hazlewood's Absence

RCB has not provided an official explanation for Hazlewood's absence, and there have been no reports indicating a new injury. It is likely that the management is being cautious with the 35-year-old's fitness, especially after a lengthy period away from the game. Playing two matches within three days could pose a risk to his recovery.

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Trent Boult, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah MI Impact Sub: Sherfane Rutherford, Corbin Bosch, Ashwani Kumar, Raghu Sharma, Raj Bawa Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Tim David, Jitesh Sharma(w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma RCB Impact Sub: Rasikh Salam Dar, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh, Mangesh Yadav