RCB provide crucial Josh Hazlewood update ahead of IPL 2025 resumption: 'He's trying to improve...'

After a one-week hiatus, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season is all set to resume with the match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. RCB's overseas stars, such as Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Romario Shephard, and Tim David, have linked up with the squad, but the entire fanbase is awaiting the arrival of Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood. RCB Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, provides crucial update regarding Josh Hazlewood(AFP)

Ahead of the fixture against KKR, RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat provided an update on Hazlewood's availability for the remainder of the IPL 2025 season. Earlier, Hindustan Times had reported that Hazlewood will arrive in India next week and will be available for the playoffs.

Mo Bobat, while speaking to the reporters, explained that Hazlewood is currently recovering from a shoulder niggle, and the franchise is in constant touch with Cricket Australia and their medical team.

“With Josh, he's our only player not here at the moment. He's recovering from the shoulder niggle that he had. He's doing that with Cricket Australia,” he told reporters on Friday.

“Our medical team and their medical teams have been liaising on what that detail looks like, and he's just taking that day by day, and he's trying to improve his shot,” he added.

Hazlewood has been RCB's leading wicket-taker with the ball, taking 18 wickets in 10 matches. He is currently in third place in this season's leading wicket-takers list.

‘Rajat Patidar recovering well’

Rajat Patidar, the RCB captain, who had sustained a finger injury while fielding against Chennai Super Kings on May 3, has been recovering well and is expected to take the field against the defending champions KKR on Saturday. RCB are currently in the second spot in the standings with 16 points.

"Rajat's going well. He had an injury to his hand, but he's been building up ever so slowly," said Bobat.

"For him personally, probably the disruption gave him a few more days just to get through some of that early healing, and for the swelling to go down, and for him to get used to picking up a bat again. He's practiced the last few days, and he's doing well," he added.

The IPL 2025 season was suspended for one week due to the rising tensions between India and Pakistan at the border following the Pahalgam terror attack. A ceasefire was announced last week, and hence, the organisers announced the IPL 2025 resumption.

The final has been pushed back eight days to June 3. As a result, RCB will lose the services of Jacob Bethell and Lungi Ngidi, who will have to head back home for national duties.

"I'm sure all the teams experienced the same thing. Once your players have gone home and once the dates have been extended, that creates a bit of uncertainty. We spoke quite a lot with our overseas guys even before they went. Most of them were pretty adamant that they were keen to come back and finish the job off," said Bobat.

"We've had a good season so far. They want to come back and do that. The extension of the season presented some challenges. I had to have a few conversations with some of the national team governing bodies. Obviously, we'll lose Jacob Bethell after a couple of games and we'll lose Lungi Ngidi after a couple of games. There's an obvious impact there. In time, we'll give a little bit of thought to those replacements and we'll try and look at who might be able to come in to shore up those positions. Other than those couple of guys, nothing else was disrupted too much," he added.

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