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Royal Challengers Bengaluru coach Andy Flower hails Josh Hazlewood’s fitness and leadership as the pacer eyes a strong IPL 2026 return after injury layoff.
Josh Hazlewood was crucial in RCB’s IPL 2025 title triumph (Picture credit: BCCI)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach Andy Flower has said that Josh Hazlewood is looking younger than last season, adding that the star Australian pacer has worked hard to get match fit and it is great to have him in the dressing room and in team meetings.
Hazlewood has not featured in competitive cricket for multiple months. He missed all five Tests of the 2025-26 Ashes as well as the recent T20 World Cup in India, where Australia felt his absence.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans might be anxious. Hazlewood had been instrumental in their maiden title triumph last year, taking 22 wickets in 12 games. While he will miss the opening games, including tonight’s IPL 2026 opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad, it is certain he will feature later in the tournament.
“Hazlewood arrived yesterday. He is looking fit. I did comment to him that he looks even younger than I remember him, so he has enjoyed some good downtime, but he has worked hard to get himself back up to full fitness,” Flower said while speaking at the pre-match press conference.
“It is great to have him here. It is even great to have him here in our dressing room and in the meetings. He would not be ready for tomorrow, because he has just got off the plane and we will be monitoring his fitness very closely and looking forward to him making his entrance into the IPL,” Flower added.
In November last year, Hazlewood suffered hamstring and Achilles injuries and has been in recovery since. Given his long absence from competitive cricket, it is unlikely that Royal Challengers Bengaluru will rush him back into action.
There is a good chance Hazlewood will feature in the second half of the league. Even just joining the Royal Challengers Bengaluru is a huge boost; he can mentor pacers like Mangesh Yadav, Rasikh Dar and Abhinandan Singh, helping them develop into better bowlers.
March 28, 2026, 13:57 IST
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