Josh Hazlewood, the leading new-ball bowler for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), remains uncertain about making a comeback for the rest of the IPL 2025 season, should the tournament resume. As reported by ESPN Cricinfo, the Australian pacer is dealing with a minor shoulder issue but is expected to regain fitness in time for next month’s World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Hazlewood has been one of the standout performers this season, currently ranking third on the IPL 2025 wicket-takers list with 18 wickets from 10 innings at an average of 17.27. He also briefly held the Purple Cap. His most notable performance came against Rajasthan Royals at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where he delivered a remarkable spell of 4-0-33-4.
A key moment in that match was Josh Hazlewood‘s crucial 19th over, where he turned the tide by restricting the Royals when they needed 18 runs from the last 12 balls, reducing the equation to 17 off the final over. RCB eventually clinched the win by 11 runs.
The Australian seamer was doubtful for the home game against CSK and was replaced by Lungi Ngidi. He was also likely to miss the match against LSG and possibly the rest of the season if the tournament hadn’t been paused. Additionally, RCB captain Rajat Patidar is recovering from a finger injury.
RCB’s impressive campaign in IPL 2025
RCB, under the leadership of Rajat Patidar, have been exceptional this season, securing second place on the points table with eight wins from 11 matches. They have notably won all six of their away games, making history as the first team to achieve this feat in a single IPL season.
With the tournament currently paused, reports suggest that the BCCI intends to resume the matches on May 15 or 16, pending government approval, with the season potentially extending until May 30. One of the games set to restart is the clash between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals, which was interrupted in Dharamsala after just 10.1 overs.
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