Back among the players after sitting out early matches, Josh Hazlewood stepped onto the field again versus Rajasthan Royals. Two wickets came his way that night, yet Bengaluru still lost by six wickets. Oddly left out when facing Mumbai Indians, he watched as Jacob Duffy took his spot. The Kiwi bowler barely had time to settle before being replaced once more – Hazlewood was back in for the following contest with Lucknow
Curious thoughts popped up about Hazlewood staying fit – could he need rest during IPL’s later games? Following the match with LSG, the 35-year-old spoke plainly: aiming to feature in every upcoming game, since RCB’s calendar makes that possible
Playing more? That’s the goal. The run of games looks okay now, so let’s see – hope stays strong to keep going,” Hazlewood mentioned after the match.
Hazlewood named player of the match against lsg
A sharp performance unfolded under Hazlewood’s control during the clash with Lucknow in IPL 2026. Through the powerplay, momentum tilted firmly his way right from the start. Out went Nicholas Pooran – key wicket, well-earned – removing a serious threat early on. His full spell cost the opposition only twenty runs across four tightly bowled overs. As a result, LSG struggled to build, closing their innings at 146.
Bengaluru reached the total using just 29 deliveries left. A lively innings of 49 by Virat Kohli lit up the chase, followed by useful turns at bat from Rajat Patidar along with Devdutt Padikkal – then Romario Shepherd and Tim David guided them home. That victory lifted RCB into first place on the standings; meanwhile LSG sit seventh, sitting above CSK, MI and KKR.
Later on, once the match ended, Hazlewood said his rhythm wasn’t quite right in the earlier clash with Rajasthan – yet satisfaction followed when reflecting on his outing versus LSG.
“It’s been a bit of a long road the last few months, but yeah, got the rust out, I guess, last game against Rajasthan. Felt much better today and the rhythm feels in good shape,” Hazlewood said
