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Virat Kohli's Old Rival And...? 3 Underrated Bowlers RCB Can Pick To Replace Josh Hazlewood

Anurag Dasgupta

3 pacers to replace Hazlewood [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X.Com] 3 pacers to replace Hazlewood [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X.Com]

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) assembled a strong squad for the upcoming IPL season, however, even before the start of the tournament, they have been jolted with the news of an injury to star signing, Josh Hazlewood. The Aussie bowler was drafted in the side with an expectation that he'll lead the bowling attack, but now there are doubts on his participation in the IPL.

The team were expecting that Hazlewood could be the one to solve their bowling woes, but now the star pacer could potentially miss out on a chance to play for them. In that case, RCB will need a replacement and instead of going for big names who missed out, here are 3 underrate bowlers the franchise should target.

3) Naveen-ul-Haq

The old rival of Virat Kohli and perhaps the most underrated T20 bowler, Naveen-ul-Haq could be a sensible buy for the RCB team. He has wealth of experience playing not only in IPL, but across different franchises and could be a smart move.

On a flat surface at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, his change in variation could be quite useful, especially in death bowling.

2) Will O'Rourke

The Kiwi pacer was a relatively unknown commodity prior to the New Zealand tour of India, however, after the first game, everyone knew his exceptional talent.

The New Zealand seamer went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction, but if RCB need to replace Hazlewood with another street smart pacer, O'Rourke is the answer for them.

In 36 T20 games which he has played, the pacer has picked up 36 wickets, but it is the economy which is impressive. He only gives runs at 7.84, which is really good in the game's shortest format.

1) Dilshan Madhushanka

It was widely expected that the Sri Lankan left-arm pacer will be picked in the IPL auctions, but the franchises showed no interest and he was unsold.

Quality left-arm pacers are a rare commodity and RCB shouldn't miss out on an opportunity to grab him. He can swing the ball both ways and will be an effective new ball bowler for the franchise. The economy is slightly on the higher side, but he is a genuine wicket-taker.