Is Josh Hazlewood available to play the RCB vs KKR IPL 2025 match?

An untimely halt in the ongoing IPL season has messed with the plans of the teams significantly. The India-Pakistan conflict put over a week-long break in the season as IPL 2025 was suspended due to security concerns. The revised IPL 2025 schedule, meanwhile, pushed the edition to June 3, over a week ahead of the originally planned final on May 25. With a packed international schedule and the WTC Final approaching soon, many overseas players have opted out of playing the remainder of IPL 2025. Mitchell Starc has confirmed his absence from the Delhi Capitals camp for the season ahead. However, RCB remains positive about the return of their pace spearhead, Josh Hazlewood.

Josh Hazlewood likely to miss the RCB vs KKR IPL 2025 match, still tending to his shoulder injury

While Mitchell Starc has confirmed his unavailability for the rest of IPL 2025, the likes of Pat Cummins, Travis Head, and Josh Hazlewood are likely to return. The RCB vs KKR match in Bengaluru would kick off the revised IPL 2025 schedule. However, there remains a concern for the home team before the resumption takes place. While Hazlewood is likely to return, whether he would return before the playoffs is not confirmed.

The Australian pacer played a key role for the team in the season before the suspension. With 18 wickets in 10 matches, Josh Hazlewood is etched as the highest wicket-taker for RCB in IPL 2025 so far. However, a shoulder injury ruled the seamer out of the RCB vs CSK match. Before another injury update, the season was suspended. Now, as the season resumes after a break of over a week, Hazlewood is yet to fully recover from his shoulder niggle. As per the latest update, the Australian is still rehabilitating and has not joined the camp for the RCB vs KKR IPL 2025 match.

"In Josh Hazlewood's case, he's obviously been managing a shoulder niggle, which he's had for a couple of weeks now. He's still back in Australia and he's still working on his rehab to come back from that shoulder niggle. We don't have any updates right now at the minute, so we're going to have to take that day-by-day," said the RCB Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, ahead of the RCB vs KKR match.

While he would return, unlike Mitchell Starc, reports suggest that Hazlewood would join the RCB camp for the IPL 2025 playoffs. Before the playoffs, RCB has three matches left at the group stage. Currently, the team is placed second on the IPL 2025 points table with 16 points in 11 matches. In the remaining three matches, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have the task to ensure a Top 2 finish for the playoffs. However, the absence of Hazlewood in these fixtures would deliver a crucial blow to the fan-favorite franchise.

In Hazlewood's absence, Lungi Ngidi played the RCB vs CSK match. Now, as Hazlewood tends to his shoulder injury, RCB is likely to play Ngidi following the IPL 2025 resumption as well. Meanwhile, with the qualification nearly settled for RCB in the IPL 2025 playoffs, the return of Josh Hazlewood at any point from here would be welcomed. Meanwhile, Starc has already shifted his focus to the WTC Final, scheduled from June 11 to 15 in England between Australia and South Africa.