IPL 2026: RCB head coach Andy Flower provides major update on Josh Hazlewood's fitness

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach Andy Flower has shared an update on fast bowler Josh Hazlewood’s fitness ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026). Hazlewood won’t be featuring in the first match of the tournament as he continues to recover from Achilles and calf issues.

However, the speedster has linked up with the RCB squad, confirmed Andy Flower, saying that the fast bowler looked younger than ever. RCB are set to begin their campaign on March 28 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

"Hazlewood arrived yesterday. He's looking fit. I did comment to him that he looks even younger than I remember him, so he's enjoyed some good downtime, but he's worked hard to get himself back up to full fitness,” Flower in the pre-match press conference ahead of RCB’s opening game against SRH.

Flower also said that the team will be monitoring his fitness and hopes to bring him back on the pitch soon.

"It's great to have him here in our dressing room and in the meetings. He won't be ready for tomorrow, because he's just got off the plane, and we'll be monitoring his fitness very closely and looking forward to him making his entrance into the IPL," he added.

RCB's injury crisis ahead of season

RCB are suffering from a major fast bowling crisis heading into the season, as apart from Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara is also unavailable after being denied a No Objection Certificate from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). Left-arm seamer Yash Dayal also won't feature in the season due to his ongoing sexual assault case, as confirmed by Andy Flower. 

Meanwhile, RCB players will be wearing black armbands during their opening fixture of the IPL 2026 as a tribute to the victims of the stampede incident last year. 11 fans lost their lives during RCB's IPL 2025 victory celebrations due to poor crowd management outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.