Josh Hazlewood Ruled Out? 3 Replacements RCB Can Consider For IPL 2025

Debashis Sarangi

Josh Hazlewood ruled out of India Tests due to injury [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X]Josh Hazlewood ruled out of India Tests due to injury [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X]

Story continues below ADVERTISEMENT

In a significant development, ace Australian speedster Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the upcoming second Test against India due to an injury. Notably, the experienced right-arm pacer has sustained a low grade left side injury, sidelining him from the pink ball Day-Night Test against the visiting side. 

According to Cricket Australia, Josh Hazlewood will likely miss the remainder of the India Tests. In such a scenario, his unfortunate injury comes as a shocker for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the team which bought him for a whopping price in the recently held IPL 2025 mega auction. 

Why Should RCB Prepare A Backup For Hazlewood?

Considering RCB bought Josh Hazlewood for a huge amount of 12.5 Crores, he is expected to lead their bowling unit in the IPL 2025. However, the fast bowler has an injury-prone body and RCB will be left with only one quality experienced pacer- Bhuvneshwar Kumar - if he gets ruled out of the tournament. 

Apart from Hazlewood's recent injury setback, RCB must keep an eye on his cricketing schedule after the IPL 2025. As Cricket Australia generally withdraws its key players ahead of international assignments, it won't be surprising if Hazlewood leaves the RCB camp midway during the tournament. 

It's absolutely fine if he recovers in time and commits to the franchise for the entire competition. However, if the fast bowler decides otherwise and leaves the team somewhere in between the league stage, here are three replacements RCB can consider before the tournament. 

It's worth-mentioning that RCB can't buy another overseas pacer, having already exhausted their quota of eight foreign players. Therefore, there are some unsold Indian pacers they can consider buying, as they still have three slots and 0.75 Crores in their kitty. 

Josh Hazlewood's Probable Replacements In RCB For IPL 2025

Kartik Tyagi (Base Price- 30 Lakhs)

  • Kartik Tyagi is a promising young talent and has represented several franchises in the IPL. The right-arm pacer is known for his pace and hit-the-deck bowling, which he exhibited during his brief stint with Rajasthan Royals. 
  • As RCB don't have a proper hit-the-deck pacer in their squad, Tyagi could be a decent replacement if Hazlewood misses out some part of the IPL 2025. 

Vidhwath Kaverappa (Base Price- 30 Lakhs)

  • Karnataka's talented seamer Vidhwath Kaverappa could be valuable addition to RCB's bowling unit, thanks to his incredible skills. 
  • Apart from making the new ball talk, Kaverappa can trouble the batters with his nagging accuracy in the middle and death overs. 
  • More importantly, as he is a local player, the Royal Challengers might prefer him as Hazlewood's potential replacement if the latter gets sidelined from IPL 2025. 

Shivam Mavi (Base Price- 75 Lakhs)

  • Shivam Mavi is another bright prospect RCB can consider buying if Josh Halzewood gets ruled out. The right-arm pacer operates at a decent pace and can test the batters with his razor-sharp bowling. 
  • He can form a deadly opening bowling pair with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, while chipping in with a few overs in the final two phases of the game. He can also play handy cameos lower down the order, adding depth to RCB's batting unit.