The 2026 season of Indian Premier League has begun on an exciting note, with teams like Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, and defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore making strong starts. However, even before the tournament got underway, injuries and availability issues began to impact several squads.

A number of high-profile players have missed matches so far, including some key names from Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings.

Dhoni is currently out of the playing XI due to injury but is expected to return later in the tournament.

KKR have been hit the hardest.

Harshit Rana and Akash Deep are ruled out for the entire season, while Matheesha Pathirana is yet to receive fitness clearance.

Yash Dayal has been ruled out due to personal reasons. Josh Hazlewood is still recovering and will miss the initial matches, while Nuwan Thushara awaits clearance from Sri Lanka Cricket.

All-rounder Sam Curran has been ruled out of IPL 2026 with a groin injury and has been replaced by Dasun Shanaka.

Mitchell Starc is recovering from shoulder and elbow injuries and will miss early games. Ben Duckett opted out of the tournament.

Hardik Pandya missed a match due to illness, while Atharva Ankolekar has been ruled out with a knee injury.

Despite being available, Ishant Sharma has not yet featured in the playing XI, highlighting the team’s strong bench strength.

Glenn Maxwell withdrew before the auction, while Lockie Ferguson is unavailable for the initial matches.

Regular captain Pat Cummins is still recovering from injury, with Ishan Kishan stepping in as stand-in captain.

Wanindu Hasaranga remains sidelined due to fitness concerns, and Mayank Yadav, despite being fit, has not featured yet.

Josh Inglis is expected to join the squad later in the tournament.

Josh Inglis is expected to join the squad later in the tournament.