Josh Hazlewood, Tim David's Future Hinted At By RCB's Vijay Mallya

Josh Hazlewood and Tim David were absent for Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Tuesday, May 27 IPL 2025 encounter against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Lucknow. Vijay Mallya, the former owner of RCB, discussed the two foreign players' involvement in the forthcoming Qualifier 1 match versus Punjab Kings (PBKS).

At the Ekana Stadium, the Royal Challengers defeated the Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets to cap off their league stage campaign. To guarantee their participation in Qualifier 1, which is scheduled for Thursday, May 29, in Chandigarh, RCB solidified their position in the top two of the IPL 2025 standings.

Josh Hazlewood and Tim David’s Performances in IPL 2025

This season, Hazlewood has been RCB's best bowler. With 18 wickets in 10 games at an average of 17.28 and an economy rate of 8.44, he is the fourth-highest wicket-taker. He returned to the team before Friday's match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, in which RCB lost by 42 runs.

During that game, Tim David was hurt while fielding close to the boundary. After the incident, the 29-year-old was forced to leave the field, but he eventually came back to bat. With a remarkable average of 62.33 and a strike rate of 185.14, David scored 187 runs in nine innings, playing a vital role as a finisher.

Ex-RCB owner Vijay Mallya drops a bombshell about Josh Hazlewood and Tim David’s availability

Vijay Mallya praised the Bengaluru team for their outstanding effort following RCB's victory over LSG. Along with the return of Josh Hazlewood and Tim David, he also voiced hope that the squad would continue to win.

"Congratulations to RCB for pulling off a phenomenal win over LSG tonight and setting a IPL record of away wins. Hopefully, strong momentum and return of key players will enable RCB to play bold en route to the IPL Trophy," Mallya posted on X.

Congratulations to RCB for pulling off a phenomenal win over LSG tonight and setting a IPL record of away wins. Hopefully, strong momentum and return of key players will enable RCB to play bold en route to the IPL Trophy.

— Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) May 27, 2025

Jitesh Sharma confirms Josh Hazlewood’s return to RCB

Hazlewood will return in the playoffs, according to RCB stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma, who made this announcement during the toss. He underlined how crucial Hazlewood is to the group.

"Josh Hazlewood will be back in the next game. He's been one of our key bowlers, and it's great to have him returning at such a critical stage," Jitesh confirmed at the toss.

RCB will next face PBKS in Qualifier 1, May 29 at the Mullanpur Stadium in New Chandigarh.

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