Latest news with #JoshHazlewood
Mint
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Mint
Who will win IPL 2025 Final? David Warner makes bold prediction, names Player of the Match
The 18th season of the IPL is indeed proving ominous for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who now hope to win their first IPL trophy with one final victory on 3 June. While RCB's rivals will be decided after today's match between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians, former IPL-winning captain David Warner has already predicted that the Bengaluru-based franchise will win the lucrative league this year, naming his fellow Australian Josh Hazlewood as the player of the match for the penultimate clash. Asked about the IPL 2025 winner on X (formerly Twitter), Warner replied, "I think RCB and Josh hazelwood man of the match," Notably, Hazlewood has been RCB's leading wicket-taker this year, taking 21 wickets in 11 matches, including his best figures of 4/33 against Rajasthan Royals. Even in the Qualifier 1 match against the Punjab Kings, the fast bowler bowled tough lines and lengths, troubling the PBKS batters and eventually taking three wickets. After the match, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra also lauded Hazlewood on his YouTube channel, saying, 'Josh Hazlewood came, and what a trajectory this guy has. He doesn't stop. He had come after an injury. At times, you are slightly ginger when you return from injury... He said, 'Forget that, I will do it.' He dismissed Shreyas Iyer for the fourth time. Shreyas Iyer isn't able to play at all against him, and he didn't stop there. After that, Josh Inglis. I thought those were the two biggest wickets in the middle order, and it was all over.' The right handed pacer will next be seen in action during the IPL Final on 3 June at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Notably, Hazlewood is also part of Australia's squad for the World Test Championship Final and will have to rush to England after the IPL to play the coveted match.
News18
a day ago
- Sport
- News18
Josh Hazlewood On Playing IPL Before WTC Final: 'Wherever I Am In The World...'
Last Updated: Josh Hazlewood's return to Royal Challengers Bengaluru after a shoulder injury has boosted the team, helping RCB secure their spot in the IPL final. Josh Hazlewood's return to Royal Challengers Bengaluru after an injury break has been a boon for the team and excellent preparation for the Australian pacer. He believes the intensity he is gaining in the IPL will be highly beneficial for the World Test Championship final against South Africa next month. Having recovered from a shoulder injury, Hazlewood made his comeback in the IPL after a month-long absence and showed no signs of rust. His performance was instrumental in Royal Challengers Bengaluru securing their first playoff appearance since 2016 with an eight-wicket victory over Punjab Kings. His impressive display also bodes well for his preparation for the World Test Championship final against South Africa, commencing at Lord's on 7 June. '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," he added after taking 2/16 in 3.1 overs. Hazlewood is renowned for his relentless spells in Test cricket, but he has also significantly improved his T20 game. His hard lengths are challenging to counter, and on flatter pitches, he effectively utilises wide yorkers. On Thursday night, the pitch conditions allowed him to bowl Test match lengths, resulting in match-winning figures. He dismissed the in-form Shreyas Iyer and Josh Inglis, destabilising the Punjab Kings' batting line-up. '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." Leg-spinner Suyash Sharma also delivered a strong performance, ably supported by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal. '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." Conditions were favourable, and RCB capitalised effectively, bowling out the opposition for 101 and chasing the modest target in 10 overs. 'There was a bit of seam movement and inconsistent bounce, which we utilised well. The conditions were great for bowling first. Suyash targeted the middle order and has bowled well throughout the tournament. He got on a roll tonight," Hazlewood concluded. First Published: May 30, 2025, 13:10 IST
India.com
a day ago
- Sport
- India.com
Josh Hazlewood gives savage message as several foreign players leave IPL 2025 ahead of WTC final
Josh Hazlewood celebrating a wicket with Virat Kohli. New Delhi: Josh Hazlewood's return for Royal Challengers Bengaluru after recovering from an injury, proved to be a blessing in disguise and a solid preparation for the pacer himself, who believes this intensity will be beneficial during the World Test Championship against South Africa next month. After recovering from a shoulder injury, Hazlewood participated in the IPL a month did not looked rusty at all. He helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru reach their first final after 2016 with an eight-wicket victory over Punjab Kings. This performance served as a positive indicator of his readiness for the upcoming World Test Championship final against South Africa, starting June 11th at Lord's. '…I've got to be bowling, you know wherever I am in the world, I've got to be bowling getting ready for that game (WTC final) anyway,' said Hazlewood after featuring in his first IPL game since April 27. 'There's no better place than I think out in the middle, obviously you've got to bowl more, more hours of training from time to time to build up for a Test, but to get that intensity right up, there's no better place than the IPL,' he added. Hazlewood, a Test cricketer renowned for his persistent bowling and ability to extract movement from the pitch, has significantly improved his T20 performance. He struggles to consistently bowl effectively, and when his bowling is particularly good, he opts for wide yorkers as a strategy. Shreyas Iyer and Josh Inglis, key players for the Punjab Kings, were dismissed, significantly weakening the team's performance. 'I don't bowl too much differently in Test match cricket than tonight,' said the seasoned Australian pacer. Despite missing most of the season due to injury, the player's contribution to RCB was significant. He led the team in wickets with 21, averaging 15.80 runs per wicket in just 11 matches. His absence would significantly weaken RCB's bowling attack.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Hazlewood in great touch for WTC final
Australia's Josh Hazlewood said it was perfect preparation for the World Test Championship final after delivering a match-winning performance on his return to the IPL. The fast bowler finished with figures of 3-21 as Royal Challengers Bengaluru sealed their place in the IPL decider with an eight-wicket thrashing of Punjab Kings on Thursday. The 34-year-old only recently rejoined Bengaluru after returning home due to a shoulder injury and following the stoppage in the league caused by the conflict between India and Pakistan. He struck two key blows at Mullanpur including skipper Shreyas Iyer for two as Bengaluru bundled out Punjab for 101. With the WTC final at Lord's between Australia and South Africa starting on June 11, it was a perfect reminder of his prowess. "I've got to be bowling. You know, wherever I am in the world I've got to be bowling, getting ready for that game anyway," Hazlewood said. "There's no better place than I think out in the middle. Obviously you've got to bowl more hours of training from time to time to build up for a Test, but to get that intensity right up, there's no better place than the IPL." He added: "I don't bowl too much differently in Test match cricket than tonight, so it's still that hard length, so I feel in a good place." Some foreign stars including Australia's Mitchell Starc did not return. But Hazlewood decided to be with Virat Kohli's Bengaluru and after his spell of 3.1 overs at a bowling-friendly pitch feels ready for a critical fortnight. "Worked really hard the last few weeks on the shoulders to get back and got some good overs into it the last sort of 10 days," said Hazlewood. "And yeah it is feeling good to be back." Bengaluru, who are chasing their first IPL title, await their opponent in the final on June 3 at the world's biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad. "I think we've just got all bases covered," said Hazlewood. "I think any one of the five or six bowlers can bowl at any moment of the game, whether it's the start, middle or end."
Dubai Eye
a day ago
- Sport
- Dubai Eye
Hazlewood's return fuels Bengaluru's IPL title dream
Questions about Josh Hazlewood's fitness were posed repeatedly at Royal Challengers Bengaluru's press conferences ahead of their Indian Premier League playoff and the Australian showed on Thursday why there was so much interest in his availability. Returning to action after spending a month on the sidelines recovering from a shoulder injury, Hazlewood helped put Bengaluru on the cusp of a first IPL title with figures of 3-21 against Punjab Kings. Three-times runners-up Bengaluru bundled out Punjab for 101 and then chased down the target in 10 overs to book their place in Tuesday's final. On a pitch that offered swing and bounce, Hazlewood took the key wickets of fellow Australian Josh Inglis and rival captain Shreyas Iyer, blows which Punjab never really recovered from. "The bowling unit was obviously back to the unit that bowled for most of the tournament, and again, we knew our roles really well," Hazlewood told reporters after their eight-wicket win. "There was a little bit of seam movement, the bounce was probably a little bit inconsistent, so we sort of utilised that as best as we could." Hazlewood's 21 wickets from 11 games make him the third highest wicket-taker this season behind Noor Ahmed (24) and Prasidh Krishna (23), both of whom have played three games more than the Australian. On Mullanpur's spicy wicket, a target of around 150 could have proved tricky, said Hazlewood. "They probably just had to pull back a little bit and try and get a score on the board, you know, 150-160 would have been a difficult chase potentially," he added. "But I think we only let them bat as well as they could have, through our bowling." The lively wicket also meant Hazlewood did not have to push his body to the limit on his return from injury. "The wicket helped obviously, I didn't have to bowl any fast yorkers or anything like that, so yeah, it's feeling not too bad."
