Hazlewood has been among the best bowlers of the season but suffered a shoulder niggle before the competition was suspended.
As IPL 2025 resumes after a break, teams try to get back their most overseas players. However, a few might not return for the remainder of the tournament, and Josh Hazlewood is one of them.
He has been among the best bowlers of the season but suffered a shoulder niggle before the competition was suspended. The reports suggest he might not return and prioritise the WTC final, scheduled right after IPL 2025.
Hence, we look at three ways RCB can manage without Josh Hazlewood for the remainder of IPL 2025.
Like Delhi Capitals (DC), Royal Challengers Bengaluru can also opt for a replacement player for the remaining matches. There are not several quality options, but RCB have a few to choose from.
Richard Gleeson is one of those players who is unoccupied anywhere else and can come in as a partial replacement. Like Hazlewood, he can bowl across phases and was in good rhythm in SA20 2025.
Gleeson has previous experience playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and is the best like-for-like replacement. Due to his height and high pace, he can be the X-factor in the bowling lineup.
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If RCB don’t seek a replacement, they must look for other bowlers in the side. Lungi Ngidi replaced him in the XI for the CSK contest when Hazlewood sat out due to an injury, and he did a fine job by taking three wickets.
He will continue in Hazlewood’s absence and act as an overseas pacer for RCB. However, he has been named in South Africa’s squad for the WTC final and might miss the playoffs.
In that case, Nuwan Thushara can be an option, even though he might not be as good as the other two bowlers. He specialises in swinging the new ball at pace, which can be handy later in the tournament.
If Lungi Ngidi plays, he won’t bowl as many overs in the powerplay as Hazlewood. He might close the powerplay and bowl more in the middle and death overs.
That means Yash Dayal will do the heavy lifting in the powerplay with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. However, if Nuwan Thushara comes, he will bowl more during the field restrictions, with Yash Dayal in the middle and death overs.
Unlike Hazlewood, Thushara won’t be banked in death overs due to his lack of control. So, Ngidi will bowl more outside the powerplay, while Thushara will be a powerplay specialist, and RCB must keep changing tactics according to the personnel.
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