Josh Hazlewood Unavailable for RCB's IPL 2026 Season Opener Against SRH
Hazlewood to Miss Season Opener
Andy Flower, the head coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), confirmed that Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will not participate in the opening match of the season against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru this Saturday. During a press conference held before the match, Flower stated, "Hazlewood arrived yesterday and appears fit. I even remarked that he looks younger than I recall, indicating he has had some good rest. He has worked diligently to regain his fitness. It's fantastic to have him in our dressing room and meetings. However, he won't be ready for tomorrow's game since he just landed, and we will closely monitor his fitness as we anticipate his return to the IPL."
Flower Discusses Indian Pacers
The head coach also addressed the status of Indian pacers in the squad, expressing his admiration for the young seamers: Abhinandan Singh, Rasikh Dar Salam, and Mangesh Yadav. Flower noted, "Unfortunately, Yash (Dayal) is not with us this year. We have Mangesh, Abhinandan, and Rasikh all vying for a spot. I won't disclose who will play tomorrow, but we are pleased to have recruited Mangesh, a left-arm seamer, to fill Yash Dayal's position." Mangesh was acquired for Rs 5.20 crore during last year's mini auction, placing significant expectations on him.
"We are also pleased with Abhinandan's development. He has participated in more matches recently, including the DY Patil competition, where he performed admirably. Rasikh has improved as a bowler compared to last year, demonstrating hard work and qualities that could benefit him if given the opportunity in this tournament. We are satisfied with our three Indian seamers," Flower added.
RCB's Full Squad for IPL 2026
The complete roster for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026 includes: Abhinandan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Devdutt Padikkal, Jacob Bethell, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Krunal Pandya, Nuwan Thushara, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, Rasikh Dar, Romario Shepherd, Suyash Sharma, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Virat Kohli, Vihaan Malhotra (Rs 30 lakh), Jordan Cox (Rs 75 lakh), Venkatesh Iyer (Rs 7 Cr), Satvik Deswal (Rs 30 lakh), Mangesh Yadav (Rs 5.20 Cr), Vicky Ostwal (Rs 30 lakh), Kanishk Chouhan (Rs 30 lakh), Jacob Duffy (Rs 2 Cr).