There are a few teams who will be sweating over the fitness and availability of some of their players.
The upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) is just around the corner and the teams have already started their preparatory camps. The season kickstarts on March 22 with a match between defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens.
With the starting date drawing closer, there are a few teams who will be sweating over the fitness and availability of some of their players due to injury concerns. In this article, we take a look at five such stars who are still unsure of featuring in IPL 2025.
First up is Josh Hazlewood, the Australian fast bowler who was re-signed by RCB for INR 12.5 crore during the mega auction. Hazlewood, who was part of Australia’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, managed to play only two matches before an injury forced him out. His injury also sidelined him during Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka and kept him out of the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025.
South African pace sensation Anrich Nortje was acquired by the defending champions KKR for INR 6.5 crores. Initially included in South Africa’s squad for the Champions Trophy 2025, Nortje underwent medical scans that revealed he would be unable to participate in the tournament. Previously, he was ruled out of the remainder of the SA20 2025 season with a back injury.
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Another prominent South African fast bowler on the list is Gerald Coetzee. He was acquired by the Gujarat Titans (GT) for INR 2.4 crore during the mega auction. Coetzee was anticipated to participate in the Champions Trophy 2025, as he had been recovering from a hamstring injury that limited him to just one match in the SA20. However, upon returning to bowling practice, he reported discomfort and tightness in his groin, which ultimately sidelined him for the ODI tri-series in Pakistan as well as the Champions Trophy 2025.
Next in focus is Mitchell Marsh, the versatile Australian all-rounder, who was secured by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for INR 3.4 crores. Marsh participated in four out of the five Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Tests against India before being sidelined in the final match, with Beau Webster taking his place. He managed to play just one Big Bash League (BBL) game before being forced to withdraw due to a lower back injury. This issue ultimately led to his absence from the Champions Trophy 2025 too.
The young and promising English all-rounder was secured by RCB for INR 2.6 crores. Bethell, who was part of the England squad touring India for the ODI and T20 matches, made an impactful debut in the first ODI by scoring a notable half-century. Unfortunately, he was later forced to withdraw from the series due to a hamstring injury, which also resulted in him missing the Champions Trophy. RCB will be hoping that Bethell gets fit in time to play in IPL 2025
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