RCB coach rules Josh Hazlewood out of IPL 2026 opener, Pat Cummins update arrives

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach Andy Flower has dropped a massive update on the star fast bowler Josh Hazlewood's availability ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 opening match.

Andy Flower said that the veteran Aussie pacer Josh Hazlewood won't be available for the tournament opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Saturday, March 28.

Josh Hazlewood won't be ready for tomorrow - RCB head coach Andy Flower

Josh Hazlewood has been out of competitive cricket action for a long time now. He missed the Ashes series because of hamstring and Achilles issues and is yet to achieve fitness for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Speaking to the reporters, Andy Flower said, "Hazlewood won't be ready for tomorrow. But we are monitoring his fitness."

While talking about the legendary batter Virat Kohli, Andy Flower said that he is super fit and ready to fire.

"Kohli is looking super fit, the way he is timing in practice, he is at the top of his game."

In Rajat's first year, he has led the team to a title - Andy Flower

The RCB head coach also lavished rich praise on the skipper Rajat Patidar for maintaining his cool under pressure and gave a special shoutout to the wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma. He stated:

"In Rajat's first year, he has led the team to a title. He had a bit of experience as the captain of MP. Very likable man, stays calm, the bowlers like it. Jitesh is very energetic."

The Impact Player rule has been a debatable topic with several players raising their voices against it. However, Andy Flower seems to be on a different page. He elaborated:

"Impact sub has been a good innovation. It is interesting for the audience. Tactically, it is a good addition. One of the things of cricket is about selection. When you select a single-skilled player, it could affect the balance. Impact sub hides such things."

Pat Cummins' fitness is good - Daniel Vettori

Just like Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins has been troubled a lot by fitness issues and is currently out of action. He is set to miss the initial half of the Indian Premier League.

Providing an update on the SRH skipper, Daniel Vettori said that his fitness is good at the moment and he is slowly building the bowling load. He elaborated:

"Cummins' fitness is good. It is about building bowling loads. Over the next 10/15 days, hopefully we will get a timeline."

"We are an aggressive team, we bat deep. The challenge for us is to assess the conditons on tricky wickets."

Also Read: Kamran Akmal trolls Pakistan Super League after Hyderabad Kingsmen jersey turns ball pink