Sandy Verma
Tezzbuzz|15-05-2025
Just a week after the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 was dramatically suspended due to rising tensions between India and Pakistanthe tournament is now set to resume following a formal ceasefire between the two nations.
This development has sparked a flurry of logistical reshuffling and player return updates, one of the most prominent being the potential return of Josh Hazlewood to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Hazlewood, who has been instrumental in RCB’s campaign this season, had missed their last match against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK)before the suspension, due to a shoulder niggle. His injury and the rapidly evolving international situation had put his availability in doubt. However, recent reports from Vishesh Roy on X, working for Hindustan Timesindicate that the Australian fast bowler is likely to rejoin the RCB squad as IPL 2025 resumes this Saturday, with the team scheduled to take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a pivotal clash.
Before his brief absence, Hazlewood had been nothing short of sensational, leading RCB’s bowling unit with 18 wickets, the most for his team this season. Whether with the new ball in the Powerplay or coming back in the death overs, Hazlewood has provided consistent breakthroughs and stability to the side’s pace attack. His ability to deliver under pressure has made him one of the tournament’s top performers so far. Still, with the World Test Championship (WTC) final on the horizon, scheduled for June 10 at Lord’s, there remains some uncertainty about how much workload Hazlewood will take on in the remainder of the IPL. Given his recent shoulder issues, RCB and Cricket Australia will look to coordinate closely to ensure that his health is not compromised ahead of such a high-stakes international fixture.