RCB star doubtful of returning for remaining matches of IPL 2025: Reports

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) new-ball bowler Josh Hazlewood remains doubtful about returning for the remaining matches of IPL 2025 if the 18th edition of the tournament resumes. According to a report from ESPN Cricinfo, the right-arm seamer is battling a shoulder niggle but is expected to be fit for the World Test Championship (WTC) final next month.

Hazlewood has been one of the best bowlers in the tournament and is currently third in the list of most wickets in IPL 2025 with 18 scalps in 10 innings at 17.27 and held the Purple Cap briefly. The star Australian bowler's best spell came against the Rajasthan Royals at the Chinnaswamy Stadium when he took sensational figures of 4-0-33-4. He bowled a game-changing 19th over when the Royals required 18 off 12 balls but brought it down to 17 off the final six deliveries. The Royal Challengers eventually won by 11 runs.

Hazlewood was anyway a doubtful starter for RCB's clash against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at home and was eventually ruled out, with Lungi Ngidi getting the nod. He was also unlikely to play the game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and might have missed the remainder of the tournament if it had not been suspended. Moreover, RCB captain Rajat Patidar is also recovering from a finger injury.

RCB's outstanding run in IPL 2025

Meanwhile, RCB, led by Rajat Patidar, have been outstanding this year and currently hold the second spot in the points table with eight wins in 11 matches. Notably, they have won all of their six away matches this year, becoming the first team to achieve the feat in IPL history in a single season.

With the tournament currently halted, reports have claimed that the BCCI plans to resume the tournament on May 15 or 16, pending government's permission and could extend to May 30. As such, the clash between the Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals could restart, with the fixture abandoned in between in Dharamsala.

The match had to be called off only after 10.1 overs.

About the author

Aayushman is a cricket journalist at Sportskeeda who covers news, features and listicles. A Finance graduate with a diploma in journalism, he has a total work experience of around 7 years and has bylines at reputed websites like Free Press Journal, Cricket Addictor, and Roar. Aayushman believes in presenting all the relevant information and facts in his articles to let the readers form their own opinions. His exploits in the industry have led to interview former Australia stalwart David Hussey.

A former Tata Consultancy Services employee, Aayushman has been supporting the Australian men's national team after being impressed with their aggressive and never-say-die attitude in the 2003 ICC World Cup. His favorite cricketer is Steve Smith, whose tremendous self-belief in his methods, despite them being unorthodox, inspire him a lot. Smith’s performances from 2019 Ashes Series only fueled this inspiration further. He would like to revisit the 2015 ICC World Cup semi-final clash between India and Australia if ever got hold of a time machine.

When not working, Aayushman loves to spend his spare time reading fiction books and watching one of his favorite television shows Grey's Anatomy.

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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee