Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is once again set to join the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2025 Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team. According to sources, Hazelwood will return to India by the last week of May and will be part of the team for playoff matches.
Hazelwood had been suffering from a shoulder injury for some time, due to which he could not get into an important match against Chennai Super Kings. However, now his recovery is complete and he is ready to return to the field. In IPL 2025, Hazelwood has done well by taking 18 wickets in 10 matches so far, making him third among the most wicket -taking bowlers this season.
Hazelwood’s return in the absence of South African fast bowler Lungi Angidi can prove to be very beneficial for RCB. Cricket South Africa (CSA) has called back its players from the IPL till 26 May in view of the preparations for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. In such a situation, the enggid will not be with the team for the playoffs, which makes Hazelwood’s experience and contribution even more important.
The IPL 2025 season was temporarily postponed due to increasing tension on the India-Pakistan border. For this reason Josh Hazlewood also returned to his country. However, after the declaration of the ceasefire and the situation became normal, the BCCI set the date to resume the tournament.
After the restoration of the tournament, there was a question among the fans whether Hazelwood would join the team again. Some media reports claimed that Hazelwood does not want to return for personal reasons.
Josh Hazelwood’s return for RCB, captained by Rajat Patidar, matters a lot. His sharp bowling and experience will strengthen the knockout stage. RCB fans also hope that this time the team will be able to fulfill its dream of winning the trophy.