The IPL title had almost slipped from their grasp had RCB not done this
When the IPL 2025 was suspended for a week on May 9 due to border tensions between India and Pakistan, it was believed that barely any overseas players would return. The playoffs qualification was on the edge and every team wished their star players would come back when the schedule was revised and venues were decided after a week.
For Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the concern was to see Josh Hazlewood back in the match squad. When the players landed back home, Cricket Australia immediately made the announcement that it would defend all the players who didn’t want to go back to the IPL when it resumed.
SLK
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GAW
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TKR
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ABF
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ADKRDM
33/0
MIEDM
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DVDM
–
SWDM
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MIEDM
–
DCDM
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GGDM
–
DVDM
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SDS
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NDS
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WDL
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ODW
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PD
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SDS
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EDR
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CDK
–
UCCB
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LKLS
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ACB
–
BAC
–
UCCB
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LKLS
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ACB
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BAC
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BAC
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LKLS
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BAC
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TSA
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UCCB
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TSA
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UCCB
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CLJ
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BAC
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TSA
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UCCB
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CLJ
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KENT
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YOR
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SOM
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NOR
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LAN
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MID
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DER
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ESS
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BB
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SUSS
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GLAM
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LEI
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GLO
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HAM
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WOR
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SURR
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PNG
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KNY
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QAT
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DEN
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CAN
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NAM
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GER-W
108/4
ITA-W
109/2
Italy Women won by 8 wickets
IRE-W
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NED-W
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GER-W
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NED-W
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ITA-W
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IRE-W
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BAN
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IND
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Match Called off
MUR
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NK
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LLG
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NWW
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KZK
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KRMPS
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CEC-A
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KUMS
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TTS
189/5
KBTS
188/7
Thrissur Titans won by 5 wickets
ALRS
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CAGS
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CAGS
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KBTS
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ATR
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TTS
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MGD
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HBT
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GBM
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BNB
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TBC
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TBC
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IAI
68/7
YSG
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MUT
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ROS
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VLLY
231/3
SGR
139/7
Valley beat Sandgate Redcliffe by 93 runs
SBB
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WYN
54/3
TMB
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WSS
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IPS
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NSBB
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NOS
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MAO
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TRR
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BIP
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NOS-W
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MOW-W
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TRW-W
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BIP-W
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LUF
143/3
NOSK
139/9
Lucknow Falcons beat Noida Super Kings by 7 wickets
KASS
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KARS
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LUF
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MEMA
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GOLS
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NOSK
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Then came the multiple reports of Hazlewood being injured and was unlikely to play the remaining part of the season. They were the in-form team and Hazlewood was their key to a maiden title.
When it felt like their season was in jeopardy, in stepped RCB’s director of cricket Mo Bobat and head coach Andy Flower to convince CA to release their key pacer.
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According to a report by Cricbuzz, Bobat used his connections within CA to convince the Board that they would make sure the star was taken care of and be ready for the World Test Championship final against South Africa that would begin just a week after the IPL 2025 final.
Hazlewood returned to the playing XI for the Qualifier 1 against Punjab Kings and claimed superb 3-21 to clear RCB’s path to the final. Even though his contribution was 1-54 in the final, Hazlewood’s haul of 22 wickets from 12 matches at superb average of 17 was the best for any RCB bowler in the tournament as they clinched their maiden title.
Had it not been for the management’s convincing powers, RCB would have lost their most crucial players and possibly the title.
The report also revealed that Hazlewood could’ve gone somewhere else as RCB were mulling to get Jofra Archer in the auction. But Hazlewood previously appeared for the franchise in 2022 and 2023 which prompted them to go for the New South Wales man and get him for INR 12.5 crore, their costliest buy of the season.
“RCB needed a bowler who extract bounce from the pitch at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and they thought of Jofra Archer and Hazlewood, who were coincidentally coming back from an injury. But eventually, they went for Hazlewood as he had the experience of playing for RCB and had performed well,” the report said.
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