In a massive boost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s quest for their maiden IPL title, Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood is reportedly aiming to make his Indian Premier League 2025 playoff return after completing rehabilitation for a shoulder injury back home. (Preview)
Hazlewood had missed RCB’s last league match before the tournament’s suspension due to India-Pakistan hostilities and returned home. Since then, he has been training in Brisbane as part of Australia’s preparations for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Now, as per a report by ESPNcricinfo, the Aussie bowler is in line to make his IPL return ahead of RCB’s playoff journey, which will be good news for head coach Andy Flower ahead of their penultimate group-stage match against SunRisers Hyderabad on 23 May.
As per the report, Hazlewood’s progress in the recent training camps has been positive, which has given him hope to make his franchise comeback, although the date of his return to India hasn’t been fixed yet.
Hazlewood has been one of the shining stars in RCB’s stellar campaign this year, taking 18 wickets in 10 matches at an impressive average of 17.27. With the Royal Challengers already qualified for the playoffs, his return will strengthen their bowling attack against the other top-four teams.
If the pacer does make his IPL return, Hazlewood is also expected to be in contention for Australia’s squad for the WTC final against South Africa.
Meanwhile, RCB will look to give it their all in their match against SRH, as a win will guarantee a top-two spot for the team, giving them one more chance in the playoff stages. Key players, including captain Rajat Patidar, have been declared fit for the match.
After today’s game, they are set to face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on 27 May.
