Josh Hazlewood gives savage message as several foreign players leave IPL 2025 ahead of WTC final

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.

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