The IPL 2026 season has reached its halfway stage, and a number of Australian players have stood out across different squads. From returns after fitness setbacks to breakthrough form with the bat and ball, here’s a look at how each of them has done so far.
At a glance
- Pat Cummins (Sunrisers Hyderabad): first match after a long-term back issue; four overs for 27 and a yorker to dismiss Riyan Parag.
- Travis Head (Sunrisers Hyderabad): 186 runs at 23.25, strike-rate 143.07; no half-centuries, but 11 sixes.
- Cameron Green (Kolkata Knight Riders): 196 runs at 28; two wickets at 48.5 with economy 12.12.
- Josh Hazlewood (Royal Challengers Bangalore): returned after missing the first three games; best figures included 1/20 from four vs LSG.
- Tim David (Royal Challengers Bangalore): 183 runs at 91.5, strike-rate 194.68; key knocks and chases.
- Mitchell Starc (Delhi Capitals): expected to debut for DC on May 1 vs Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur.
- Matt Short (Chennai Super Kings): featured early, later used as a spinner for a powerplay role; last played with Akeal Hosein preferred.
- Spencer Johnson (Chennai Super Kings): arrived as Nathan Ellis replacement; has not played since joining.
- Mitchell Marsh (Lucknow Super Giants): LSG slumped to the bottom; 212 runs at 26.50, one half-century.
- Josh Inglis (Lucknow Super Giants): availability expected for the May 4 match vs MI after his April wedding.
- Cooper Connolly (Punjab Kings): debut 72* off 44 vs GT; then 36 off 22; 87 off 46 vs LSG.
- Xavier Bartlett (Punjab Kings): five wickets at 59.4; economy 11.57; key scalps in multiple wins.
- Marcus Stoinis (Punjab Kings): limited batting; helped PK chase 265 vs DC; bowling figures cost 17 and 11 in two matches.
- Mitchell Owen (Punjab Kings): hasn’t played; unlikely due to a settled overseas group and strong form from others.
- Ben Dwarshuis (Punjab Kings): also unlikely to get in unless injuries hit Marco Jansen or Bartlett.
Pat Cummins — steadier after the injury layoff
Australia’s Test captain finally took the field in IPL 2026 on Saturday, following a long-term back problem. He played a major part in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s high-scoring win over Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, contributing both as a leader and as a bowler.
In a match where most bowlers struggled to keep things under control, Cummins stood out: his four overs went for 27, and he struck by removing Riyan Parag with a yorker. He is expected to be available for the rest of the tournament, though the franchise will avoid any unnecessary risk if the back flares up again.
Travis Head — impact remains punchy despite the quiet averages
Travis Head’s T20 rhythm has not transformed in the IPL, but his scoring remains dangerous in bursts. So far, he has made 186 runs at 23.25, striking at 143.07, with no half-century—yet he has found the boundary 11 times via six.
Head has reached 23 or more on four occasions and has been a close support to opening partner Abhishek Sharma. Together they have assembled huge partnerships of 82, 120, 75 and 97, with three of those stands playing a role in victories.
In the most recent meeting against RR, Jofra Archer provided resistance, getting Head out twice in a five-ball spell. A dropped chance by wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel preceded the second dismissal, but the threat still came at the right moment.
Cameron Green — form shift after a tough early stretch
Early on, expectations were heavy on Cameron Green after the first three games yielded just 24 runs. He also did not bowl in that phase, as Cricket Australia managed his return to bowling following a de-loading period after the T20 World Cup.
The next two matches brought more strain, with KKR slipping to a 0-5 start in one stretch. Since then, though, Green has helped spark a change in fortune for the side, producing a 79 off 55 in a defeat to Gujarat Titans.
That innings came in phases, and while some questioned his finishing, the wider batting support was limited—no teammate surpassed 27, and only two batters worked at a higher scoring rate. He then contributed 27 off 13 and 34 off 21 in KKR’s two lower-scoring wins.
Green also took a crucial wicket, dismissing Aiden Markram against Lucknow Super Giants. Overall, he has 196 runs at 28, strike-rate 153.12, along with two wickets at 48.5 and an economy of 12.12, with many of his overs coming in the powerplay—a role he does not often get in T20 cricket.
Josh Hazlewood — back in the mix, key wicket at the right time
Josh Hazlewood missed RCB’s first three matches while he worked through a long recovery from an Achilles problem. In his four games so far, the outputs have been mixed, but his bowling has still swung moments when it mattered.
He was costly in his opening outing against RR despite taking two wickets, and he ran into the pace and power of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Against LSG, however, Hazlewood returned to his best form with 1/20 from four overs.
In the loss to DC, he did not produce a major impact, but he delivered a decisive breakthrough against Gujarat Titans. When Sai Sudharshan looked set to accelerate from 100 towards a much larger total, Hazlewood removed him, helping RCB chase 206 instead of a tougher target.
Tim David — a tournament-leading run machine
Tim David has been one of Australia’s most influential presences in the IPL up to this point. He has scored 183 runs at 91.5 with a strike-rate of 194.68, delivering runs at a pace that repeatedly changes the complexion of innings.
One standout came against Chennai Super Kings, when he made 70 not out off 25 balls. He also seized 30 runs from Jamie Overton’s 19th over, turning pressure into momentum in a single spell.
David followed that with another winning knock, blasting 34 not out off 16 against Mumbai Indians. He has also remained unbeaten in three successful run chases, and in each case he struck a crucial six during the chase.
With RCB sitting second on the table, David looks set to remain central to their title push, as the tournament moves deeper.
Mitchell Starc — waiting for the DC debut
Mitchell Starc has not yet played in the IPL because of a shoulder and elbow issue picked up while he was in the BBL in late January. There had been some noise between him and sections of the IPL media regarding his absence, but that tension appears to have settled.
Starc travelled to India last week after a stretch of training without pain. After acclimatisation, he is expected to make his first appearance for Delhi Capitals on May 1 against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur.
Matt Short — used early, then sidelined by role changes
Matt Short was selected for CSK’s opening match against RR, but he managed only 2 off 7 in a heavy defeat. After that, he was left out when Dewald Brevis returned from injury, which also closed off a route for him into the middle order.
Short later returned to the XI as CSK’s second spinner versus SRH, specifically for a powerplay match-up in the Travishek bowling plan. His initial two overs were tidy, costing just 13, but bowling him again in the powerplay proved risky.
In that third powerplay over, Abhishek Sharma attacked for three fours and two sixes, reaching 50 off 15 balls. Short then scored 34 off 30 batting at No.4 in the chase, but CSK finished 10 runs short, and he has not played since. West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein has been preferred.
Spencer Johnson — late arrival, still waiting for a game
Spencer Johnson joined CSK as a surprise addition, stepping in for the injured Nathan Ellis. He has not appeared in the IPL since last year’s season, having been dealing with a stress fracture in his back.
Johnson only arrived in India in the last week after building up his bowling workload in Australia, and he was not cleared to bowl until March. Whether he features for CSK—and how often—remains uncertain, as he has not even been used as an Impact Substitute in the most recent matches since coming over.
Mitchell Marsh — starts without big scores, LSG struggling
Mitchell Marsh has not quite delivered the impact Lucknow Super Giants would have wanted. LSG are rooted at the bottom of the table at the halfway point after five straight defeats, and Marsh’s season has followed a similar pattern to Travis Head’s—many promising starts without converting them into big totals.
So far, Marsh has scored 11 or more in seven of his eight innings and has passed 30 four times, but he has only one half-century. His 212 runs come at 26.50, and while his strike-rate sits at 133.33, he did show his value in the 55 off 41 against RR when the rest of the top order folded around him during the powerplay.
Josh Inglis — return timeline confirmed for LSG
Josh Inglis was an unusual acquisition for LSG at auction because he was only expected to be available for the later part of the tournament. The reason was his wedding in April, which delayed his participation.
Inglis is now set to be available for LSG’s next outing against MI on May 4. It also looks likely that he will slot directly into the top four and replace Nicholas Pooran, who has 82 runs from eight games and also had a first-ball duck in the Super Over against KKR.
Cooper Connolly — debut brilliance and explosive follow-ups
Cooper Connolly entered the IPL without much recent form, but he has quickly taken control of the tournament narrative with two remarkable innings. In his league debut, he made 72 not out off 44 balls at No.3, calmly chasing 163 against Gujarat Titans despite wickets falling around him.
He backed that up with 36 off 22 in the very next match. Connolly also received some fortune against LSG when a plumb lbw call was not only ruled out on the field, but also not taken to review, with the batter surviving that moment.
After that, he struck back hard, punishing LSG with a brutal 87 off 46 balls that included seven sixes and eight fours. Between the LSG and DC fixtures, he flew back to Perth to undergo a scan on his back.
Because of the back injury, he has not been able to bowl, and it now looks unlikely that he will be available for bowling for the remainder of the tournament.
Xavier Bartlett — wickets and control even on a run-heavy ground
Xavier Bartlett’s numbers are difficult to judge purely in isolation, because he has often been opening the bowling in one of the most batter-friendly environments in the competition. Still, the wicket tally has been present: he has taken five wickets at an average of 59.4.
His figures are boosted by a rain-affected encounter against KKR, where he produced 2 for 9 in 1.4 overs and removed Green as well. Even in matches where boundaries have come easily, Bartlett’s economy of 11.57 deserves context, given several games at the venue have turned into 250-plus contests.
Beyond that, he has delivered key breakthroughs in different wins. He took the important wickets of Sanju Samson in the triumph versus CSK and Heinrich Klaasen in the win against SRH. He also forced a crucial mistake from Nitish Rana against DC, a moment that helped keep the chase at 264 despite his four overs costing 69 runs.
Marcus Stoinis — doing the job with bat and ball in limited chances
Marcus Stoinis has been shaped by the role he plays in a Punjab Kings side that has not lost a match midway through the tournament. The franchise have won six completed games, with one washout against KKR.
Stoinis’s batting opportunities have been scarce: he has batted only four times and faced 10 balls in his first three innings. Even then, he contributed when called upon, scoring 9 not out off 3 balls and 10 not out off 5 before being promoted to No.5 in the win over LSG.
At that higher spot, he made 29 off 16 as Punjab Kings piled up 254. Remarkably, he did not need to bat against DC, with Punjab chasing 265 with seven balls remaining and six wickets in hand.
On the bowling front, he has delivered just two overs across the tournament, with one going for 17 in one game and the other costing 11 in a different match. Even with limited usage, he is expected to remain a valuable role option as Punjab chase another run to the final.
Mitchell Owen — no IPL debut yet
Mitchell Owen has not played a match in the IPL and looks unlikely to do so. Punjab Kings have settled with their four overseas players, and with Connolly and Stoinis performing strongly, there is little opening for the role Owen would otherwise fill.
Owen entered the tournament after experiencing second-year blues in the BBL, following a drop in his international-level form after a bright start for Australia last year. He was not considered for the T20 World Cup, and like a number of teammates from his country, he has been in a prolonged slump.
Across all three formats, he has gone through 25 innings without reaching a fifty.
Ben Dwarshuis — waiting behind the settled overseas unit
Ben Dwarshuis, a left-arm seamer, is also unlikely to break into the playing group unless injuries force a reshuffle. The only two he could realistically replace in Punjab Kings’ balanced overseas setup are Marco Jansen or Bartlett.
