Royal Salute for Hazlewood, Suyash

Aussie pacer once again shows his worth, Suyash too joins the party as RCB rout PBKS

- GOMESH S @ New Chandigarh

JOSH Hazlewood was walking back to fine-leg from his bowling mark, wiping his face, at the New PCA Stadium. The buzz in the stands was electric and understandably so. As Hazlewood took his position along the ropes, the scoreboard read: Punjab Kings: 59/5 in 8 overs vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru. And Hazlewood: 3-0-21-2. This was his first match in over a month.

Hazlewood had missed most of the second half and went back home to Australia with a shoulder injury. In fact, there were doubts on whether he was returning. He did not join the team until RCB's last league game, which he did not play, against Lucknow Super Giants.

On Thursday, when he joined the other bowlers during the warm-up, it came as a big sigh of relief. This is Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2025 and a win would take them to their fourth final, their first one since 2016. This is the moment RCB needed him. This is also perhaps why they did not play him against LSG.