Hazlewood, who missed Australia’s Champions Trophy campaign due to a hip injury, returned the favor by helping RCB defeat the title Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets with figures of 2–22.
Josh Hazlewood justified Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s investment in him with a stellar performance, delivering tight spells to secure his team’s opening win in the IPL. After previous stints in 2022 and 2023, the Australian pacer rejoined Bengaluru, having been acquired for INR 12.50 crore at the Jeddah auction in November, making him the costliest Australian player this season. The 34-year-old, sidelined from Australia’s Champions Trophy campaign due to a hip injury, rewarded RCB’s trust with figures of 2-22 in their seven-wicket victory over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday.
“I know the intensity is sky-high, but with just four overs to bowl, I feel I’ll keep improving as the tournament progresses. This is probably the freshest I’ve felt in a long time.
I’ve put in a lot of effort off the field to reach this stage, which was challenging, but I feel both mentally and physically rejuvenated.”
Phil Salt’s explosive 56 at the top of the order powered the three-time runner-up to a comfortable chase of 175, earning praise from Hazlewood for his impactful performance alongside Virat Kohli in a 95-run opening stand.
“It’s a new IPL cycle, and the fresh additions—Salt being one of them—were outstanding,” Hazlewood said.
“The opening partnership laid the foundation for our chase. While 175 wasn’t an enormous target, it was still competitive, and getting off to that kind of start was crucial.”
Bengaluru will now take on Chennai Super Kings on Friday.
