Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pacer Josh Hazlewood turned in a vintage performance at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, helping his team secure a tense 11-run win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) and climbing to third in the IPL 2025 standings.
Hazlewood not only played a match-defining role with the ball but also reached two personal milestones:
- 150 wickets in T20 cricket (now at 152 in 116 matches)
- 50 IPL wickets (now 51 in 36 matches)
The Aussie seamer’s 4/33 included a phenomenal 19th over where he gave away just one run and took two wickets, decisively turning the game RCB’s way.
A Clutch Bowling Display
Defending 18 runs in the final two overs, Hazlewood’s pressure-filled penultimate over left RR needing 17 from the last six balls. Yash Dayal held his nerve in the 20th, restricting the Royals to just six more runs.
Hazlewood now shares the top spot in the wicket-takers chart this season with Gujarat Titans’ Prasidh Krishna, both with 16 wickets.
Hazlewood’s T20 Career at a Glance:
- 152 wickets in 116 T20s, Avg: 21.77, Econ: 7.57, Best: 4/12
- 51 wickets in 36 IPL matches, Avg: 21.27, Best: 4/25
- For RCB: 39 wickets, Avg: 18.66, including two 4-wicket hauls
Match Summary:
RCB Innings – 205/5 (20 overs):
- Virat Kohli: 70 (42)
- Devdutt Padikkal: 50 (27)
- Tim David: 23* (15), Jitesh Sharma: 20* (10)
- Phil Salt: 26 (23)
- Sandeep Sharma: 2/45, Jofra Archer: 1/33
RR Innings – 194/8 (20 overs):
- Yashasvi Jaiswal: 49 (19)
- Dhruv Jurel: 47 (34)
- Riyan Parag: 22 (10), Nitish Rana: 28 (22)
- Krunal Pandya: 2/31, Josh Hazlewood: 4/33, Yash Dayal: 1/33
Standings Update:
- RCB: 3rd with 12 points (6 wins, 3 losses)
- RR: 8th with 2 wins, 5 consecutive losses
Player of the Match:
Josh Hazlewood, for his lethal spell and match-winning over.