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Josh Hazlewood Out Of IPL 2025? RCB's Bowling Attack If Injury Sidelines Aussie Pacer

Debashis Sarangi

Hazlewood's recent injury setbacks might be a concern for RCB [Source: @RcbianOfficial/X]Hazlewood's recent injury setbacks might be a concern for RCB [Source: @RcbianOfficial/X]

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Australia suffered a huge setback on day four of the ongoing third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test match against India, with Josh Hazlewood sustaining a calf injury. The fast bowler, who dismissed Virat Kohli with a beautiful delivery, went off the field following the injury. 

Interestingly, Josh Hazlewood was purchased at a whopping price of INR 12.5 Crores by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. So, his injury proneness in the BGT has caused a serious headache for RCB, considering the role he was supposed to play for them in the IPL. 

It's worth mentioning that Hazlewood was sidelined from the Adelaide Test due to a side strain. Although he was fast-tracked into the playing XI for the Gabba affair, it took a little time for his breakdown to jeopardise the Australian hopes for a series lead. 

Considering Hazlewood's recent struggles with injuries, it won't be surprising if he misses out on a few matches during the IPL 2025. What could be RCB's playing XI if Hazlewood gets sidelined? Let's analyse and find out. 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar To Spearhead RCB's Powerplay Bowling With Yash Dayal

Josh Hazlewood forms RCB's formidable new-ball bowling attack with Bhuvneshwar Kumar for IPL 2025. However, if Hazlewood misses some part of the IPL 2025 due to injury, RCB might consider using Yash Dayal as Bhuvneshwar's opening bowling partner. 

Yash Dayal can swing the ball upfront and his left-arm angle might trouble the batters in the powerplay. He was rewarded with a 5 Cr contract extension, with the franchise retaining him for his impressive bowling performance in the IPL 2024. 

On the other hand, there's no doubt about Bhuvneshwar's bowling skills in the powerplay. Statistically, the veteran India pacer has bagged 72 powerplay wickets in the IPL and his superb economy of 6.39 indicates his ability to keep the batters quiet despite field restrictions. 

Toss Up Between Lungi Ngidi And Romario Shepherd For Third Seamer's Role

If RCB team management trusts Dayal to bowl at least two overs in the powerplay, there could be a toss-up between Lungi Ngidi and Romario Shepherd for the third seamer's slot. Ngidi's ability to hit the deck and outfox the batters with his variations makes him a genuine contender to fill the vacancy. 

Meanwhile, Romario can add depth to RCB's batting apart from chipping in with a few overs of medium pace in the middle overs. The West Indian cricketer hits the hard length and his ball-striking ability might keep him ahead of Ngidi during the selection process. 

Also, given that RCB have several bowling options- Liam Livingstone, Krunal Pandya and Jacob Bethell, Shepherd might find a place in their playing XI if the team emphasises batting depth over Ngidi's bowling quality for the sake of their team combination on M. Chinnaswamy Stadium's batting-friendly deck. 

Regarding the spinners, Krunal Pandya and Liam Livingstone will be key assets with the ball for RCB, with either Swapnil Singh or Suyash Sharma leading the department.