As the excitement for IPL 2025 builds, Australian pace trio Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood are set to be available for their respective franchises from the very start of the tournament, beginning March 22. According to ESPNCricinfo, all three fast bowlers have recovered from their respective injuries, clearing the way for their participation in this year’s IPL.
Their absence in the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy 2025 was a major blow for Australia, who failed to go past the semifinals. Pat Cummins, the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper, has successfully overcome an ankle issue that had troubled him since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. His leadership and all-round abilities will be crucial for SRH, who finished runners-up last season.
Meanwhile, Mitchell Starc, who was nursing an ankle niggle from the Sri Lanka Test series, is also back to full fitness. The left-arm pacer, who played a pivotal role in Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) title-winning campaign in IPL 2024, will now turn out for the Delhi Capitals (DC) after being acquired for ₹11.75 crore at the mega auction.
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Josh Hazlewood, the most expensive Australian player in IPL 2025, had been dealing with a prolonged recovery from side and calf injuries, which later led to a hip issue, forcing him to miss the Champions Trophy. However, the towering pacer has now regained full fitness and is ready to bolster Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) pace attack.
Josh Hazlewood, who was picked up by RCB for ₹12.50 crore, will be keen to make an impact in what is expected to be a defining season for the franchise. With the IPL around the corner, Australian cricketers have made their priorities clear—choosing franchise cricket over domestic red-ball commitments.
Despite five teams still in contention for the Sheffield Shield final, the country’s IPL-bound players will be heading to India instead. Travis Head (SRH), Jake Fraser-McGurk (DC), and Spencer Johnson (KKR) are all set to fly out for the IPL, despite South Australia securing a spot in the Shield final.
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Similarly, Xavier Bartlett, Josh Inglis, and Aaron Hardie will skip the final round of the Sheffield Shield as they prepare to play under Ricky Ponting for Punjab Kings (PBKS). Last season, Matthew Wade had opted to represent Tasmania in the Shield final, missing the start of Gujarat Titans’ campaign, but this year, no Australian player is expected to follow that route.
The much-anticipated IPL 2025 season kicks off on March 22, with defending champions KKR taking on RCB at Eden Gardens. With Australia’s top cricketers now fully fit and available, expect the competition to be fiercer than ever.
