Cricket rarely waits for a convenient moment to deliver cruel news. With IPL 2026 starting on 28 March, a severe wave of injuries has hammered franchises. These setbacks force team management to scramble. They are now reshuffling squads and rethinking entire strategies. The timing is brutal. T20 cricket has faced a hectic year. The World Cup ended just weeks ago. The physical toll on heavy-use players is now obvious. Six players face a grim reality. They will watch the entire IPL from the sidelines. Their season ended before they even took the field.
6 IPL 2026 Players Whose Seasons Ended Before They Even Started
Harshit Rana (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Rana underwent lateral meniscus surgery on 9 February. He sustained a ligament strain in his right knee during India's T20 World Cup warm-up against South Africa. Fans later saw him on crutches at the BCCI Naman Awards on 16 March. His chances of playing this season have vanished.
Nathan Ellis (Chennai Super Kings)
CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed Ellis's absence on 19 March. Ellis is expected to anchor the team's death-bowling attack this year. A hamstring injury ruined those plans. His absence leaves a massive gap in the CSK pace department. They now head into their opener against the Rajasthan Royals without a key weapon.
Sam Curran (Rajasthan Royals)
Curran joined RR through a major trade deal involving Ravindra Jadeja and Sanju Samson. He will miss the entire season. A groin injury, likely from England's T20 World Cup campaign, sidelined him. Consequently, Dasun Shanaka left the PSL to join the Rajasthan Royals as his replacement.
Jack Edwards (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
SRH signed Edwards for ₹3 crore at the auction. The new recruit will not play at all this season due to a foot injury. This takes away his chance at an IPL debut. SRH already lacks Pat Cummins for the opening matches. This loss adds massive pressure to the squad.
Akash Deep (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Akash Deep failed to recover from a lower-back stress injury in time. KKR has confirmed left-arm quick Saurabh Dubey as his replacement. KKR loses two frontline pace options at once. This situation will severely test their bowling depth.
Atharva Ankolekar (Mumbai Indians)
Ankolekar tore his meniscus during a Ranji Trophy match in January 2026. This injury rules him out of his maiden IPL season. MI had bought him for ₹30 lakh at the December 2025 auction. This story feels particularly harsh. The dream ended before it truly began.
Franchise cricket always involves risk. However, the sudden pile-up of bad news just days before the opener is rare. IPL 2026 feels unusually disruptive right from the start.
