A shocking surprise was revealed by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru management through their Instagram and X (Twitter) posts on 26th March 2026. In the post, it was revealed by the RCB authorities that Josh Hazelwood, the main Pacer of RCB, has joined the squad ahead of IPL 2026. Josh Hazelwood has joined the squad of RCB after getting approval from Cricket Australia.
This Australian bowler is one of the most important factors in the victory of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru last year, and this year he will also play a leading role in the bowling attack. Despite going through a hamstring injury, Hazelwood has now arrived in the RCB campaign to participate in the matches as soon as possible. The defending champions will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign on 28th March at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Social media post by RCB
A post was released on the social media handles of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in which the caption says, “This is not a drill. This is not a prank. This is really happening. The one the entire RCB Nation wanted to see has arrived. HazleGod is in Bengaluru, and we cannot contain our excitement”.
The presence of this exceptional bowler is very important in the team as he is one of the senior bowlers and can offer mentorship to the young bowlers. however while his presence has lifted the mood in the camp, his immediate availability remains uncertain. He got clearance to travel to India; however, Cricket Australia is still managing him, and he still has to get a green flag to participate in competitive matches.
Will Josh Hazelwood play against SRH in the first match?
Despite joining the squad a few days before the initial match, Hazelwood's availability of Hazelwood in the first match is still uncertain. Cricket Australia is raising major concerns regarding his workload and making sure that he is available throughout all his National duties. Because of the upcoming test calendar on the horizon, the workload management for Hazelwood is very important for Cricket Australia.
The first bowler is yet to receive a full fitness clearance from Cricket Australia, which means RCB will have to wait to bring him back on the field. The director of cricket for RCB Mr Mo Bobat, said: “We will continue to communicate with them, and as soon as he gets to a point where Cricket Australia is happy, he will come over, and we hope to have him very soon”.
The confidence of RCB
During an interview with Mo Bobat, a question was asked that does he believes that the team may be impacted negatively after the ruling out of both Josh Hazelwood and Yash Dayal. The director of cricket for RCB replied with confidence and stated that the team had many good bowling options and it would not be impacted.
He said, “We have some excellent domestic fast bowlers in our squad. Rasik, who you know many of you will know, and then we also signed Mangesh in this option, so domestically we have three excellent potential options that could replace him.” The Royal Challengers Bengaluru will have their first match against Hyderabad, and the RCB management believes that the team is ready even without their main bowlers.
Scenes from training camp
During the training camp of Royal Challenges Bengaluru strange scene was observed. Virat Kohli was bowling to Phil Salt in the nets to prepare for their explosive IPL opening pair. The video of this training session has gone viral on social media, and multiple fans have started making speculations regarding the bowling of Virat Kohli.
Virat Kohli and all the management staff of the Royal Challengers are backing him despite his poor performance in the T20 World Cup. he is not able to find his explosive form and is struggling; however, his opening partner, Virat Kohli, is helping him.
Regarding the uncertain form of Phil Salt, the director of cricket for RCB Bobat said, “ someone like Phil Salt is still ranked in one of the top. Not recently, but the top 2 or 3 T20 batters in the world. So there is enough depth of confidence there. He also really enjoys being with RCB and his partnership with Virat”
Conclusion
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru campaign has looked lethal in IPL 2026. The confidence the management has in their players is immense, and each player understands their individual role, and they're ready to dominate from the very first match against SRH. Also read : Why IPL 2026 Has No Opening Ceremony, Major Rule Changes by BCCI Ahead of IPL 2026, Best Playing XI for CSK in IPL 2026
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