The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) do not have many boxes to tick during the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction after unsurprisingly retaining most of their title-winning squad. However, bolstering their fast bowling resources will be a priority, especially amid Josh Hazlewood’s workload and injury concerns and Lungi Ngidi’s release. The Australian pacer’s ongoing struggle with injuries will be a concern for the defending champions. He was ruled out for a few games in the 2025 campaign, and is also currently injured ahead of the 2025-26 Ashes. Hazlewood is set to play a major role in the latter half of the Ashes as well as the 2026 T20 World Cup for Australia before coming into the IPL. In 2025, RCB had the luxury of his fittest version as he had withdrawn from the Champions Trophy campaign that had preceded the IPL season. Given his intense workload and affinity for injuries, RCB may well have to accept that they have to carefully manage the pacer in the 2026 season. As a result, there is a very high possibility that he might not play all the matches, which only accentuates the need for a solid back up option, so that the quality and impact of the bowling attack is not affected in Hazlewood’s absence. On that note, let us take a look at three seamers RCB can target as backup for Josh Hazlewood in the IPL 2026 Auction. #1 Jacob Duffy After several years of flying under the radar and struggling to get chances in New Zealand’s setup due to their well-settled pace unit, Jacob Duffy has finally found the stage to himself after a major transition. The right-arm pacer has been on the rise in the T20 circuit for a while now, even claiming the No. 1 spot in the T20I rankings for bowlers. He is a major force for the Blackcaps’ white-ball setup, and his rise, his skill set, and attributes are something which RCB can target. Although not quite as tall as Hazlewood, he has enough height to extract bounce off the surface, and hit the deck hard. The pacer also gets the ball to move with his fast-arm action and release. Despite not having a fiery pace, he can get the ball to rush towards the batter at an uncomfortable height, which is something that Hazlewood is also known to do on a repeated basis. Lack of IPL experience comes across as a question mark, but RCB can take the punt based on potential, especially for a current backup and future prospect option. #2 Gerald Coetzee The South African pacer has been marred by injuries of late, affecting both his franchise and international career. However, the potential that Coetzee brings with his sheer pace and height, is arguably tailor-made for RCB. Since RCB might not have the purse to compete for the in-demand and in-form Duffy, Coetzee comes across as a bankable Plan B. Gerald Coetzee had a relatively promising campaign with the Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2024, but had a struggling time with the Gujarat Titans (GT) in 2025, and now finds himself released. Following the IPL season, he had a decent campaign in the 2025 Major League Cricket, and is slowly getting back to his best. Given that he is still only 25 years old, RCB can get ahead of the curve, especially since they can afford to take the risk with their already settled squad, and keep him as a back-up for the time being. #3 Simarjeet Singh Among India’s tallest and fastest bowlers, Simarjeet Singh has not been able to click in the IPL, largely due to injuries. He has had to settle for sporadic game time, and has looked formidable in flashes. His stint with the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) after a switch from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lasted only one season as he struggled to fit in. A major positive that RCB can consider if they want to pursue Simarjeet Singh is his promising form of late. He has had decent outings for India ‘A’ and Delhi in the last few months. In fact, in his recent appearance against Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy, he bagged his second first-class five-wicket haul, and if he can maintain this rhythm with the white-ball in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well, then he will be able to rest his case as a realistic option even better. The right-arm pacer possesses all the skillsets to be a reliable backup for Josh Hazlewood, as he can thrive on the Chinnaswamy surface, where there is always something for the new-ball pacers. With injuries being the sole barrier, and RCB only needing a backup instead of someone to play all 14 matches and beyond, they can afford to take a gamble, once again, purely based on potential. If it clicks, RCB will have a bowler for the future as well.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/3-seamers-rcb-can-target-backup-josh-hazlewood-ipl-2026-auction-ft
