In a rain-hit encounter, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting lineup collapsed like a pack of cards. For the first time in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, Josh Hazlewood had to walk out to bat. In the 14 overs per side game, eight RCB batters departed after registering a single-digit score as the openers failed to get going against Punjab Kings' (PBKS) left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh. It was Tim David who came to RCB's rescue and scored an unbeaten half-century and helped home side post 95/9. Hazlewood who took three wickets to prevent RCB from losing by a big margin, said that the current wicket at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium is different and one of the top six batters have to stay till the end.
"It’s not a typical Chinnaswamy wicket. Obviously, the bounce has always been there, but in the past, it's probably been more consistent. I find that if you really hit that six-to-eight metre length hard, it's quite tough to bat on—and we've definitely found that this season," Hazlewood said.
"Maybe it’s just about the bowlers pulling back a touch and giving themselves a bit of time to assess. In the first two games we lost here, it was one batter from the opposition going big, forming a partnership, and scoring heavily late in the innings...So if we can have our top five or top six batting through the 20 overs, I think that’ll go a long way in helping us win at home," he added.
Hazlewood walked out to bat in the 12th over. He faced just one delivery and remained unbeaten while David went berserk in the last two overs. This was David's maiden IPL half-century. Despite the defeat, he was named 'Player of the match'.
Hazlewood's three scalps
Hazlewood struck early wicket the wicket of young opener Priyansh Arya in the fourth over. He got rid of PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer with a back of the length delivery that generated extra bounce to take an outside edge. In the same over, he got the wicket of Josh Inglis who edged it straight to third man fielder Suyash Sharma. In his quota of three overs in the rain-curtailed affair, he conceded just 14 runs. He is tied with Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) left-arm chinaman bowler for most wickets (12) in the season.
RCB's next two clashes
This was RCB's third consecutive defeat at home this season. They will have a chance to avenge the defeat against PBKS on April 20. Next week, RCB will look to end the losing streak at home against an out-of-form Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 24.