Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc, three of Australia's top pacers, are expected to miss the start of the Indian Premier League season later this month, giving their respective teams an early setback.

The first match of the IPL 2026 is set to be played between the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru