Why is Josh Hazlewood not playing today? The Australian pacer has been left out of the RCB playing XI for the MI vs RCB clash at Wankhede Stadium on April 12, just two days after making his IPL 2026 comeback against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati.
Josh Hazlewood, who had returned from a long injury layoff for the RR vs RCB game on April 10, has been replaced by New Zealand seamer Jacob Duffy for the Mumbai Indians clash. RCB captain Rajat Patidar did not offer a specific reason for the Josh Hazlewood injury update or his absence at the toss, leaving room for speculation around workload management.
This is not the first time Josh Hazlewood has missed a match in IPL 2026. He sat out the first two games of the season — against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings — while recovering from hamstring and Achilles injuries that had kept him out of competitive cricket since October 2025.
ALSO READ: Why Has Rohit Sharma Retired Hurt During MI vs RCB IPL 2026 Match Today?
Why Is Josh Hazlewood Not Playing Today In MI vs RCB?
Why is Josh Hazlewood not playing today against Mumbai Indians? The most likely explanation is workload management, with Cricket Australia closely monitoring the Australian fast bowler’s return to competitive cricket.
Hazlewood had only just played his first match in over five months when he featured against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on April 10. That game was a bruising experience — Vaibhav Sooryavanshi targeted Hazlewood in the powerplay, scoring 18 runs off the Australian as part of his sensational 78 off 26 balls. Hazlewood did pick up the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal and also held a catch to dismiss Shimron Hetmyer off Krunal Pandya, but it was a demanding first outing after months on the sidelines.
With the MI vs RCB match coming just 48 hours after the Guwahati game, it is likely that RCB and Cricket Australia have agreed on a phased return. This would mirror the approach taken with Cameron Green at KKR, where Cricket Australia explicitly instructed the all-rounder not to bowl in his initial matches due to a lower back issue.
Is Josh Hazlewood injured? There is no fresh injury concern reported. The Josh Hazlewood injury update appears to be precautionary rather than alarming — a case of managing a 35-year-old fast bowler’s body through a long tournament after a significant layoff.
Cricket Australia’s Workload Management And Its Impact On IPL 2026
Cricket Australia has been a major talking point in IPL 2026 due to its hands-on approach to managing the workloads of its top fast bowlers. Multiple Australian stars have faced availability issues this season.
Mitchell Starc missed the initial phase at Delhi Capitals due to shoulder and elbow issues being managed by CA. Pat Cummins was also unavailable for Sunrisers Hyderabad’s early matches. Cameron Green was cleared to bat but not bowl for KKR’s first three games, with CA restricting his bowling workload. KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane publicly acknowledged this when pressed about Green’s non-bowling, telling the media to direct the question to Cricket Australia.
With Australia facing up to 21 Tests between August 2026 and July 2027, CA’s long-term focus on protecting its premier pacers is understandable. RCB’s director of cricket Mo Bobat had acknowledged before the season that Hazlewood’s recovery was being co-managed with CA.
For Hazlewood, this likely means a rotation approach — playing select matches rather than every game, particularly when fixtures come thick and fast.
ALSO READ: Is Virat Kohli injured? Latest ankle injury update
Can Josh Hazlewood Be Impact Player In MI vs RCB?
Can Josh Hazlewood be used as an impact player against MI today? No, he cannot. RCB already have four overseas players in their playing XI for the MI vs RCB match — Philip Salt, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, and Jacob Duffy. Under IPL rules, only four overseas players can feature in the playing XI, and the impact player must also adhere to this cap.
With all four overseas slots occupied, Josh Hazlewood cannot be introduced as an impact substitute without breaching the overseas player limit.
Jacob Duffy Returns To RCB Playing XI
Jacob Duffy’s return to the MI vs RCB playing XI is a direct result of Josh Hazlewood sitting out. The New Zealand seamer has been one of the stories of IPL 2026 so far, having taken five wickets in his first two matches for RCB — including a stunning 3/22 on IPL debut against Sunrisers Hyderabad that earned him the Player of the Match award.
Duffy had been the one to make way when Hazlewood returned for the RR game, but the rotation between the two overseas pacers could become a feature of RCB’s campaign going forward. Both occupy the same role — overseas right-arm fast-medium bowler — and RCB’s four-overseas limit means only one can play at a time alongside Salt, Tim David, and Shepherd.
RCB Playing XI vs MI: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma
MI Playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Trent Boult, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah
Josh Hazlewood IPL 2026 Journey So Far
The Josh Hazlewood injury update timeline tells the story of a carefully managed comeback:
Hazlewood last played competitive cricket for Australia in October 2025. He missed the Ashes 2025-26 and the T20 World Cup 2026 in February-March due to his hamstring and Achilles problems. He joined the RCB squad before the tournament but was not fit enough to play the opening two games.
After extensive net sessions at the Chinnaswamy — including a widely shared clip of him bowling to Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar — Hazlewood was finally cleared for the RR match on April 10. He replaced Duffy, bowled in the powerplay, picked up Jaiswal’s wicket, but was expensive against the rampant Sooryavanshi.
Hazlewood was RCB’s most important bowler during their maiden IPL 2025 title run, finishing as the team’s highest wicket-taker with 22 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 17.55 and economy of 8.77. He was retained ahead of IPL 2026 for ₹12.50 crore — an investment that underlines his value to the franchise.
What Does This Mean For RCB Going Forward?
RCB appear to be settling into a rotation model between Hazlewood and Duffy, which is not unusual for teams managing returning overseas pacers. The Wankhede pitch at Mumbai is traditionally batting-friendly, and the quick turnaround from Guwahati makes this a logical game to rest Hazlewood.
With the IPL 2026 season stretching into late May, RCB will want Hazlewood fully fit and firing for the business end of the tournament rather than risk aggravating his issues in the league stage. Expect Hazlewood to return for RCB’s next match, with the rotation likely continuing for games that fall within tight windows.
For now, the answer to why is Josh Hazlewood not playing today is straightforward — workload management of a 35-year-old fast bowler returning from a five-month injury layoff, with Cricket Australia keeping a watchful eye in the background.
Follow The Dakia for more such updates on IPL 2026.
