Royal Challengers Bengaluru fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has said playing in the IPL is not hampering his preparation for the World Test Championship final against South Africa. Hazlewood returned to RCB’s squad after recovering from a shoulder niggle and he was able to hit the ground running.
The lanky pacer accounted for Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer in his first over as the home team was left reeling at 30-3 at Mullanpur in the first qualifier on Thursday. This was the fourth time when Hazlewood dismissed Iyer in the IPL.
The Australian then dismissed his compatriot Josh Inglis with a short ball and also ended Azmatullah Omarzai’s cameo with Jitesh Sharma taking a spectacular catch. Hazlewood returned with impressive figures of 3-21 in 3.1 overs he bowled and played a key role in skittling out PBKS at 101. The Australian has taken 21 wickets in 11 IPL 2025 matches.
“I’ve got to be bowling, wherever I am in the world, to get ready for that game (WTC final),” Hazlewood commented after his first IPL game since April. “There’s no better place than out in the middle. You need more hours of training to build up for a Test, but for intensity, there’s no better place than the IPL,” Josh Hazlewood said after the win.
“I don’t bowl too differently in Test cricket than tonight,” the seasoned Australian pacer remarked.
Discussing his recovery, Hazlewood explained, “I worked really hard the last few weeks on the shoulder and got some good overs in the last 10 days. It feels good to be back. I was happy with tonight, the wicket helped. Not having to bowl fast yorkers or anything like that was a relief.”
Hazlewood showered praise on RCB’s bowling attack, which was right on the money as they skittled out PBKS at 101.
“We’ve got all bases covered. Any one of our five or six bowlers can bowl at any moment of the game, whether it’s the start, middle, or end,” Hazlewood stated. “Having Bhuvi, who has so much experience and is quite calm, helps the rest of the attack. I’m similar to Bhuvi in that regard, focusing on skill and execution.”
RCB will play in their fourth IPL final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
