Royal Challengers Bengaluru have got a boost before their Indian Premier League 2026 first game but Josh Hazlewood is unlikely to play against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28. This is because Josh Hazlewood is still not fully fit and he is waiting for a clearance. Josh Hazlewood joined the team in Bengaluru. He is still recovering from his hamstring and Achilles problems.
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The team management and Cricket Australia are being very careful with Josh Hazlewood.
Why Josh Hazlewood not playing is a deal for Royal Challengers Bengaluru
This is not about who will play in Josh Hazlewoods place. Josh Hazlewood has been the reliable overseas bowler for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in all formats especially when the game is very important.
- Josh Hazlewood can bowl well with the new ball and he can also bowl at the end of the game
- Josh Hazlewood is very good at bowling short balls and this is very important at the Chinnaswamy stadium where the batsmen find it easy to score
- Josh Hazlewood has a lot of experience of playing in big games and this is something that the current Royal Challengers Bengaluru bowling team lacks
If Josh Hazlewood does not play it could affect the teams performance in the first few games and this could make it difficult for them to defend their title.
Josh Hazlewoods injury and when he is expected to return
The team is being very careful with Josh Hazlewoods injury:
- Josh Hazlewood is recovering from his hamstring and Achilles problems
- Josh Hazlewood is waiting for a fitness clearance
- Josh Hazlewood will likely miss at least the first two games
- Josh Hazlewood is expected to return in mid-April
This is also good for Australia because they have a lot of international games coming up and they do not want to take any risks with Josh Hazlewoods injury.
Who will replace Josh Hazlewood in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru team?
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru bowling team looks a bit weak without Josh Hazlewood.
There are an options to replace Josh Hazlewood:
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
He is the most experienced bowler and he will likely lead the bowling team. Bhuvneshwar Kumars performance in the powerplay will be very important.
Jacob Duffy
He is a type of bowler to Josh Hazlewood but he does not have a lot of experience in the Indian Premier League and he has struggled in Indian conditions before.
Nuwan Thushara
It is not sure if Nuwan Thushara will be available because of some rules and fitness issues.
There are some Indian bowlers like Rasikh Dar and Mangesh Yadav but they are not very experienced at this level.
Yash Dayal is also not available. This makes the teams bowling even weaker.
How this will affect the teams strategy
Without Josh Hazlewood Royal Challengers Bengaluru may need to change their strategy and team:
- They may rely more on Bhuvneshwar Kumars swing bowling at the start of the game
- They may choose to have a batsman instead of a overseas bowler
- They may give more responsibility to the spin bowlers in the middle overs
- They may have to play more defensively at the Chinnaswamy stadium instead of trying to take wickets aggressively
This could make Royal Challengers Bengaluru a bit more reactive than proactive, in the first few games.
