Josh Hazlewood at centre of brutal injury development on eve of IPL

Josh Hazlewood won't take any part in the early stages of the Indian Premier League in a brutal new development for the Aussie fast bowler. An Achilles strain that kept Hazlewood out of all four Test matches in India is taking time to fully recover, with Cricket Australia saying the 32-year-old will consult with their medical staff before leaving Sydney to fly out to the IPL.

Hazlewood took 20 wickets in 12 matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore during the 2022 edition of the IPL. The 32-year-old is keen to play some part later in the tournament, but with the World Test Championship final, five Ashes Tests and an ODI World Cup to come later this year, doubts remain about if and when he will be available.

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Aussie selectors appear likely to push for Hazlewood to play things very cautiously ahead of such a pivotal few months of Test and ODI cricket, meaning he might not feature in the IPL at all. "As fun as T20 is and as lucrative as it is, I find it still plays second fiddle to Test cricket," Hazlewood said in February.

"This series, Ashes series, home summers are what you play cricket for. I don't think that will ever change. I've chatted with guys at Cricket Australia, Cricket NSW … to get a plan together (to manage my body). It's probably about short-term loss versus long-term gain a lot of the time.

"You've got a T20 World Cup or an IPL or a one-day series, it's about still ticking those boxes off the field to be ready to go for a Test series. It might hurt that particular series, or you might not be 100 per cent but in the long term you might be better placed for an Ashes or a home Test summer. It's just about summing up what's right and how much you can do."

Meanwhile, Hazlewood's RCB teammate Glenn Maxwell may also miss their opening game as he continues his comeback from a broken leg. The all-rounder is also in doubt for RCB's opening game on Sunday as he continues to build up his strength and fitness after a freak mishap at a friend's birthday party last year. Maxwell broke his leg when it was landed on by a friend, however he has since made his return in Victorian club cricket and the Sheffield Shield.

A total of 11 other Australians are preparing for cricket's most lucrative tournament, with Matthew Wade expected to be the first in action for the defending champion Gujarat Titans on Friday. The 35-year-old Wade appears likely to be selected for the Titans against a Chennai Super Kings side spearheaded by 41-year-old MS Dhoni. The Indian superstar will play in what may well be his final IPL campaign - though no-one dares bet on that.

Cameron Green will make his eagerly-awaited debut on Sunday in Bengaluru for the Mumbai Indians after he became Australia's most expensive IPL player ever. Green was snapped up for $3.15 million at December's auction after a bidding war.

There will also be a major focus on David Warner, who will be skippering the Delhi Capitals after Rishabh Pant was ruled out for the season while recovering from his car accident in December. Warner and coach Ricky Ponting lead the Aussie brains-trust for the Capitals, with all-rounder Mitch Marsh also coming off the back of his sparkling performances in Australia's recent ODI series victory in India.

Australians in the 2023 Indian Premier League

• Rajasthan Royals - Adam Zampa

• Mumbai Indians - Cameron Green, Jason Behrendorff, Tim David

• Lucknow Super Giants - Daniel Sams, Marcus Stoinis

• Delhi Capitals - David Warner, Mitch Marsh

• Royal Challengers Bangalore - Glenn Maxwell, Josh Hazlewood

• Gujarat Titans - Matthew Wade

• Punjab Kings - Nathan Ellis, Matt Short

with AAP

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