RCB Suffer Massive Blow With Overseas Trio Set To Miss Initial Matches in IPL 2023
Josh Hazlewood will miss the initial matches [Source: IPLT20.com]
Royal Challengers Bangalore have suffered a significant setback, as their key overseas players- Josh Hazlewood, Glenn Maxwell and Wanindu Hasaranga are set to miss the first few games of the IPL 2023 for several reasons.
Hazlewood hasn't fully recovered from an Achilles injury, which ruled him out of the recently concluded India tour. The ace speedster is undergoing rehabilitation at home, and as per cricket.com.au, he will join the RCB camp only after regaining full fitness.
Meanwhile, Maxwell seems to take a bit more time to get rid of the leg injury he sustained just after the T20 World Cup last year. So, as per emerging reports, he might be sidelined from RCB's first game against Mumbai Indians.
On the other hand, Hasaranga is set to miss the first couple of matches, as he will be busy playing for Sri Lanka in the T20I series against New Zealand.
The absence of these players has magnified the headache of RCB, as they play crucial roles for the franchise. While Hazlewood is their trump card with the new ball, Hasaranga is their wrecker-in-chief in the middle overs. Similarly, Maxwell balances the batting lineup through his incredible ability to take on the spinners.
However, the Faf du Plessis-led outfit has several quality options to replace these three players in the playing XI.
While Reece Topley and Michael Bracewell are set to fill the void of Hazlewood and Hasaranga, seeing how the Men in Red compensate for Maxwell if he misses out will be interesting.
Royal Challengers Bangalore will kickstart their IPL 2023 campaign against Mumbai Indians on April 2.
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