RCB welcome Josh Hazlewood back into their camp with a witty social media post ahead of IPL 2025 match vs LSG

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) received a massive boost with the return of ace pacer Josh Hazlewood for the remainder of IPL 2025. The 34-year-old led the RCB attack admirably in their first 10 outings, picking up 18 wickets at an average of 17.27 and an economy of under 8.50.

However, a shoulder injury kept him out of RCB's last two completed games, and the impact has been massive. RCB barely defended 213 without Hazlewood against CSK by two runs and conceded 231 to the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their latest outing to lose by 42 runs.

RCB welcomed Hazlewood back with a witty post on their X handle as below:

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Fortunately for RCB, they had already qualified for the playoffs before the SRH defeat. However, the loss jeopardized their chance of finishing in the top two of the points table.

Nevertheless, Hazlewood's return through the playoffs massively enhances their chances of winning a maiden IPL title.

How can RCB finish in the top two of IPL 2025 points table?

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It is no secret that finishing in the top two of the IPL points table goes a long way for a side's hopes of winning the title. In the 15 seasons since the introduction of the playoff format, only once has a team finishing outside the top two won three consecutive matches to clinch the title - SRH in 2016.

The top four teams qualified for the playoffs are all in with a shout to finish in the top two. Yet, RCB might have the best chance, given they play the final league stage game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

RCB must win the LSG clash and hope one of the Gujarat Titans (GT) or Punjab Kings (PBKS) lose their final matches today and tomorrow. If all three win their respective final matches, then RCB must win by a margin big enough to trump PBKS on net run rate to finish second.

Should RCB lose their final game against LSG, their top-two finish chances are done and dusted, assuming PBKS and GT's league stage finales have a result and are not washed out by rain.

About the author

Venkatesh has been writing cricket news, listicle and feature articles for Sportskeeda for over a year. He loves cricket because of the diversity of the playing fields and its unparalleled nuances, which no other sport presents. He also enjoys the analytical and quantitative side of the sport, which originates from his MBA degree and 10 years of experience in the IT industry in companies like Infosys, Atos and TCS.

Venkatesh ensures proper research from reliable sources and social media trends to gather information, and adds his own dash of creativity to create insightful content.

He started watching cricket in the late 1990s, having been impressed with South Africa and New Zealand’s gentleman-like attitude. Domestically, he supports the Chennai Super Kings for their ability to bring the best out of their players owing to a friendly and conducive team environment.

He admires three cricketers the most – Brian Lara for his batting style, AB de Villiers for changing the paradigm of batting and MS Dhoni for his unique cerebral approach to field placings and batting. Along with cricket, Venkatesh also enjoys watching and playing tennis and basketball. In his free time, he finds pleasure in singing and watching movies and web series.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran