Hazlewood returns to bolster RCB ahead of IPL 2025 playoffs

There's good news for Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of their final league-phase game at IPL 2025, and then the playoffs, with Josh Hazlewood returning to join the squad after sitting out for a while with a shoulder injury.

Hazlewood, RCB's highest wicket-taker this season with 18 wickets despite playing only ten games, hasn't played since April 27, and returned to Australia when the IPL went into temporary shutdown following cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. But, as reported on ESPNcricinfo on May 23, was primed for a return after a period of rehab at home. He had also been training in Brisbane as part of Australia's preparations for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa. He emerged from those sessions well enough to return to RCB.

RCB are already in the playoffs, but suffered a bit of a setback when they lost a high-scoring game to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Friday, which has hurt - but not finished - their chances of finishing in the top two on the IPL points table, which will guarantee two shots at getting to the final. Hazlewood's return is most opportune for them keeping that in mind.

"The good thing for RCB is that they will play the last game and they will know exactly where they stand and what they need to do," Anil Kumble pointed out on ESPNcricinfo's Time Out show after the SRH loss, referring to RCB's game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), which will end the league phase.

Despite the long break in matches, Hazlewood, RCB's best all-phase bowler this season, remains the fourth-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2025, his 18 wickets coming at an average of 17.27 and an economy rate of 8.44. The next most successful wicket-taker for RCB is left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya with 15, and Yash Dayal is their next-most-successful quick bowler, with ten wickets.

Lungi Ngidi had filled in for Hazlewood, but without anywhere near the same success. He will, in any case, not be around for the playoffs because of South Africa duties. Nuwan Thushara hasn't played a game yet, while Blessing Muzarabani, signed up as a replacement, will link up with RCB, but he isn't experienced at this level.

The IPL was Hazlewood's return to action after an injury-hit home summer where he did not feature after suffering a calf strain in the third Test against India, which followed a side problem that kept him out of the second Test in Adelaide. He subsequently missed the tour of Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy.

He is expected to return to the side for the WTC final, edging Scott Boland out of the XI, having narrowly missed out on the 2023 decider against India amid recovery from Achilles and side injuries.