New Delhi, May 25 (IANS) Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pacer Josh Hazlewood has rejoined the squad after recovering from a shoulder injury ahead of their final league game and the IPL 2025 playoffs.

Hazlewood, RCB’s leading wicket-taker this season with 18 scalps from just 10 matches, had been out of action since April 27. He returned to Australia during the IPL’s brief suspension following cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.

He completed rehab at home and resumed training in Brisbane as part of Australia’s preparation for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa. Having come through those sessions successfully, he is now back with the RCB squad.

RCB have already qualified for the playoffs but took a hit in their quest for a top-two finish after losing a high-scoring thriller to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Friday. Hazlewood’s return is timely, as a top-two finish would offer them the cushion of two chances to reach the final.

Former India coach Anil Kumble highlighted the advantage RCB hold after Hazlewood’s addition.

“The good thing for RCB is that they will play the last game and they will know exactly where they stand and what they need to do,” he said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out.

Despite his recent absence, Hazlewood remains the fourth-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2025. His 18 wickets have come at an average of 17.27 and an economy rate of 8.44, underscoring his importance across all phases of the innings. Behind him for RCB are left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya with 15 wickets and pacer Yash Dayal with 10.

In Hazlewood’s absence, Lungi Ngidi was given a run but struggled to replicate the Australian’s impact. Ngidi will be unavailable for the playoffs due to international duties with South Africa. Nuwan Thushara hasn’t featured yet this season, and while Blessing Muzarabani has been signed as a replacement, his limited experience at this level makes Hazlewood’s return all the more vital.

This IPL season marked Hazlewood’s comeback after an injury-riddled home summer in which he missed several fixtures due to a calf strain and a side injury. These setbacks had kept him out of the third Test against India, the tour of Sri Lanka, and the Champions Trophy. However, he’s now in strong contention to start in the WTC final, likely replacing Scott Boland after narrowly missing the 2023 final against India due to injury.

–IANS

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