The IPL 2026 is set to begin in a week’s time, but several teams are grappling with injuries to their star players. The overseas contingent seems to be the most affected. SunRisers will miss the services of their regular captain Pat Cummins and have named Ishan Kishan as their skipper. Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Josh Hazlewood is also going to miss the start of the tournament due to injury. Now, even Delhi Capital’s Mitchell Starc will not be available for the start of IPL 2026.

Former India and KKR star Aakash Chopra wondered what Cricket Australia is doing by stopping Starc.

“If Mitchell Starc is also not going to come at the start, what is Cricket Australia doing? You didn’t let Josh Hazlewood come, Pat Cummins isn’t coming, and now you have held back Mitchell Starc, even though he is absolutely fit. He has already said goodbye to T20Is. So what has he done in the last two months or so?” Chopra said.

“He hasn’t played any cricket after the Ashes, but despite that, you have asked him to rest because a big Test season is coming up, in which there are five Test matches against India. That’s just before the next IPL. Why are you doing that now?”

He also asked IPL franchises to take note of how overseas players were being handled.

Chopra further raised the issue of Lockie Ferguson, who will reportedly miss the start of the IPL as he will be spending time with his family.

“I am thinking about Lockie Ferguson, and that’s a serious one. I don’t know whether he has an injury or not, but based on what I have read, he isn’t available for seven matches. He is saying he wants to spend some time with the family,” he said.

“He was available at the base price. He was bought for Rs 2 crore. He is playing for New Zealand. Then he will go home and spend time with his family. It’s not a bad thing-don’t judge anyone-but if you are leaving seven matches in the IPL after giving a commitment just because of that, then teams will have to realize that this is not right. Because you will come after seven matches, take Rs 1 crore, and leave… what is the point? By that time, the team’s campaign might be badly affected,” Chopra observed.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)

Ravichandran Ashwin has given a strong early endorsement of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title defence, insisting the franchise has assembled a squad capable of adding another IPL crown in the next couple of seasons. After ending a 17-year title drought in 2025, RCB enter IPL 2026 carrying the weight of expectation and the pressures that come with being defending champions.The 2025 mega auction saw RCB retain only Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal before rebuilding their roster. The overhaul brought in key additions such as Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Tim David, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, giving the side a more balanced structure that delivered the franchise’s long-awaited first IPL trophy.

Title-winning depth in RCB’s squad

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin praised the squad’s balance and depth, noting it no longer relies solely on one or two stars. “RCB can add another title in the next two years with this squad. Winning the IPL isn’t easy, but the building blocks they have, the kind of like-for-like replacements they have,” he said.Ashwin highlighted how RCB have addressed previous gaps in their combination. “The way they have addressed the holes in the combination. This is a good package to finish in the top two,” he said.For years, RCB were criticised for depending too heavily on star power. The post-auction rebuild has changed that perception. The batting is now more flexible, the pace resources stronger, and each player has a clearer role in the squad.

Foreign strength and Hazlewood’s absence

Ashwin singled out RCB’s foreign contingent as one of the best in the tournament. “In Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Tim David and Romario Shepherd, this is probably the best four foreigners you can get, and it is one of the best in the tournament,” he said.Despite Josh Hazlewood’s injury leaving his availability uncertain for the start of IPL 2026, Ashwin believes this could work in RCB’s favour. “In all honesty, this is a blessing in disguise for RCB. If they don’t have Hazlewood and they are concerned about Salt’s form, they can play both Salt and Bethell. And when Hazlewood returns, you will have a clearer picture on the form of these and depending on that you can change,” he said.Ashwin also noted the flexibility of the bowling attack. “If the bowling is leaking a lot, they can leave Mangesh Yadav out and bring in Jacob Duffy or Hazlewood when he is fit. They have a squad that can conquer home conditions and handle ups and downs with bat and ball,” he said.

Ahwin’s RCB probable XI (considering Hazlewood is unavailable):

Virat Kohli – Phil Salt – Jacob Bethell – Rajat Patidar – Jitesh Sharma – Tim David – Romario Shepherd – Krunal Pandya – Bhuvneshwar Kumar – Mangesh Yadav – Yash Dayal – Suyash Sharma (Impact Sub)With this blend of experience, and overseas firepower, Ashwin believes RCB are well-equipped to defend their title and remain among the frontrunners in IPL 2026.

The Zags are still looking for their first National Championship, and to get it, they have to go through Texas.

The formula the Longhorns used to beat BYU proved highly successful, and they’ll likely try to replicate that game plan against the Bulldogs.

UT forced AJ Dybantsa to shoot 1 for 7 from three, which doesn’t feel like a lot, but he could easily have shot 10-18 from the field, rather than 11-25.

The Horns will probably attempt to employ this strategy against Graham Ike, also.

This is the Longhorns third game in five days and they don’t want a physical matchup.

Jalen Warley and Tyon Grant-Foster are already going to swarm on defense. If Ike plays like a bully in the post, they’re probably going to wear out.

Gonzaga ranks 17th nationally in points allowed per game.

Also, if Ike can get some easy buckets early, it will take pressure off of Davis Fogle and Mario Saint-Supery.

Fogle can go off, but he’s only averaging 8.7 points per contest, so he lacks consistency. The same thing can be said about Saint-Supery.

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Grant-Foster is the Bulldogs’ second-leading scorer, averaging 11.2 points per game.

Dailyn Swain has been UT’s leading scorer all year, but Tramon Mark has arguably proven to be their best player in the tournament.

Writes about football and basketball as a Senior Writer and hosts “The Nick Bartlett Show” for SuperWest Sports.

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NEW DELHI: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has flagged concerns over Rinku Singh’s form ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, stating that his dip in performances could be a key issue for Kolkata Knight Riders to address.KKR begin their campaign against five-time champions Mumbai Indians in Mumbai on March 29. Rinku heads into the season under scrutiny after a disappointing T20 World Cup, where he managed just 24 runs in five innings.

The left-hander’s struggles come after a remarkable breakthrough in IPL 2023, highlighted by his unforgettable five consecutive sixes off Yash Dayal during a 200-plus chase against Gujarat Titans — an innings that catapulted him to stardom.Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan reflected on the decline in Rinku’s returns since that standout season and his inability to make the most of opportunities at the World Cup.“We will have to see how much opportunity he gets to play. His 2023 season was outstanding. He scored 400-450 runs with a strike rate of 150. But after that, his performance dipped, and many times he did not get enough opportunities. He will have to maintain his standard and maximise the opportunities he gets. Even in the World Cup, he played five matches, but he could not fully capitalise on the chances he got. This is another problem that Kolkata needs to rectify, and Rinku Singh is one of them,” he said.Rinku had enjoyed a stellar 2023 campaign, scoring 474 runs in 14 innings at an average of 59.25 and a strike rate of 149.52, including four fifties. Since then, however, his numbers have dipped, with 374 runs in 22 innings at an average of 23.37, and a highest score of 38*.Pathan also pointed out that managing Varun Chakravarthy’s form would be another challenge for KKR. The mystery spinner started the T20 World Cup strongly, picking up nine wickets in four group-stage matches at an economy rate of just over five, but saw a sharp decline later, managing only five wickets in five matches from the Super Eight stage to the final, with his economy rate rising significantly.Despite the dip, Pathan backed Varun to bounce back and deliver in familiar conditions.“The challenge is how to bring Varun back with confidence given his current dip in form. He will play 14 matches, some of which will be at Kolkata’s ground, and he has definitely performed well in this league before. With the good memories he has in Kolkata, perhaps in a slightly different atmosphere, he might perform even better. I believe he will manage it, so although this is a challenge, Varun Chakaravarthy will overcome it,” said Pathan.Last season, Varun finished as the seventh-highest wicket-taker with 17 scalps at an average of 22.52 and an economy rate of 7.66, with best figures of 3/22. Overall, he has claimed 99 wickets in 83 matches for KKR, including two four-wicket hauls, with best figures of 5/20.