Aussie 'big three' on ice with Green in IPL spotlight

The most lucrative edition yet of the Indian Premier League is about to blast off without the three Australian quicks who’ve become established showstoppers in the star-studded cricketing circus.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be without Josh Hazlewood, who did most to bowl them to the 2025 crown, when they take the field against 2024 finalists Sunrisers Hyderabad, who won’t have their captain Pat Cummins in charge for the opening match on Saturday.

With 2024 champ Mitchell Starc also delaying his bow for the Delhi Capitals, as Cricket Australia closely monitor the fitness and workload of their masterful 30-something pace trio, it probably won’t be well into the two-month campaign that they’re cleared for action.

Meanwhile, all eyes in India instead will be trained on another Australian, the most expensive international recruit ever purchased in the IPL.

No pressure, then, $4-million man Cameron Green ...

Unlike his fellow Aussies, all revered as world-beaters, the billion-strong jury in India is still out on the 26-year-old Green.

They saw glimpses of how supremely gifted he can be in all three departments when he was at Delhi Capitals two seasons ago, but remain to be convinced he’s now worth the $A4.17m Kolkata Knight Riders have forked out for his services.

A price tag like that can weigh heavy, and it’s been far from an easy time for Green since back surgery in 2024. He didn’t play in last year’s IPL with injury, had an underwhelming Ashes and a forgettable T20 World Cup campaign.

Indian Test luminaries have made life even more uncomfortable, with Ravichandran Ashwin suggesting he should get his pay docked if he doesn’t bowl his allotted four overs a game, and Mohammad Kaif declaring he won’t be able to fill the void left by his illustrious predecessor Andre Russell.

But in Test teammate Starc, who had a rough time for a while in 2024 after becoming the most expensive signing at the IPL auction but then went on to bowl KKR to the title before his subsequent move to Delhi, he’ll have a sympathetic ear.

Shane Watson, who also knows all about the pressures of being a big-money IPL signing, will also be a sounding board as the current assistant coach at KKR.

There’ll be 15 Australians in action in the 2026 edition, with the Ricky Ponting-coached Punjab Kings again looking the most green-and-gold tinted side with Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Owen, Ben Dwarshuis, Marcus Stoinis and Xavier Bartlett all on the books.

Twenty-two years separates the two biggest home IPL attractions with Virat Kohli, at 37, still ready to wow them at Bengaluru while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who turns 15 this week, is itching to improve on his scarcely credible debut season for Rajasthan Royals that featured a 35-ball hundred against Gujarat Titans.

AUSTRALIANS IN THE IPL 2026

Chennai Super Kings - Matt Short, Spencer Johnson

Delhi Capitals - Mitchell Starc

Kolkata Knight Riders - Cameron Green

Lucknow Super Giants - Josh Inglis, Mitch Marsh (coach Justin Langer)

Punjab Kings - Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Owen, Ben Dwarshuis, Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett (coach Ricky Ponting)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Josh Hazlewood, Tim David

Sunrisers Hyderabad - Travis Head, Pat Cummins (capt)