New Delhi: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season will proceed as planned, with the availability and participation of certain overseas players to be determined by the franchises, a league official told IANS. The statement comes amid uncertainty surrounding the participation of some foreign recruits ahead of the tournament.
While a few international players are yet to link up with their respective squads due to injuries, others may skip the tournament as part of workload management plans. Delhi Capitals also mentioned that they’re waiting for Cricket Australia to take a call on Mitchell Starc’s participation, as he has yet to receive an NOC while they monitor his workload.
The responsibility of finalising participation, however, lies entirely with the franchises.
“It is up to the franchises to decide on the participation of some foreign players who are missing the tournament. Only the injured players are yet to join, while some others are managing workload concerns. That decision will rest with the franchises. The IPL will commence as scheduled and with full fanfare,” an IPL official told IANS.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Abhishek Nayar confirmed that Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana will miss the initial phase of IPL 2026 and will be available only from mid-April. Similarly, Pat Cummins will also join his team late, with India’s World Cup-winner Ishan Kishan named interim captain. Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka is also likely to join the Rajasthan Royals as Sam Curran’s replacement, who was ruled out owing to an injury.
Despite these concerns, the league remains confident of a smooth start, maintaining that the tournament will retain its scale and spectacle when it begins. The 19th edition of the cash-rich event, featuring 10 teams and 74 matches, is set to begin on March 28 with a clash between defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
(IANS)
