India, March 24 -- Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the defending Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, will begin the 2026 edition on March 28 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The franchise will be without Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood for the first few games as he is yet to recover from an injury that previously ruled him out of the Ashes and the T20 World Cup. The 35-year-old was expected to recover in time for the IPL 2026 season; however, he is expected to remain on the sidelines for some more time as he is currently undergoing rehab in Australia.

Hazlewood will only join the RCB camp once he gets the clearance from Cricket Australia. As of now, no one really knows when the pacer will join the squad. On Tuesd...