Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) lost their second consecutive game of IPL 2023 on Monday (April 10), this time against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). They started the season well with a win over Mumbai Indians but the bowling has gone haywire in the last couple of matches conceding more than 200 runs. In fact, RCB bowlers have been starting well to pick wickets but have lost their way conceding a lot of runs at the backend. The team is certainly missing a bowler like Josh Hazlewood in the playing XI. Against KKR, they had the team on the mat at 89/5 but then Shardul Thakur played a blinder to take the score past the 200-run mark.
Against LSG, defending 213 runs, RCB left the opposition reeling at 23/3 at one stage but lost the game by one wicket eventually. There have been a few availbility and injury issues in the bowling department for RCB. While Wanindu Hasaranga just joined during the RCB vs LSG game, Josh Hazlewood is missing the first half of the season while his back-up Reece Topley ruled out due to an injury he sustained during the game against MI. However, after recent losses against KKR and LSG, the fans are missing Hazlewood badly and want an update on his availability soon.
Recently, RCB's Director of Cricket Mike Hesson had given an update that Hazlewood will be joining the RCB camp on April 14. Perhaps, Hazlewood himself had revealed a few days ago that he will join his IPL franchise on the said date. Moreover, he had also stated that he won't be completely fit by then and could only be available by the last week of April.
"Everything is ticking along according to plan, so I’ll be heading over on the 14th (of April) depending on how the next two weeks go. I probably won’t be quite ready to go right then, but (after) another week in India to touch things up skills wise I should be ready to go hopefully," Hazlewood was quoted as saying by The Age. RCB will face Delhi Capitals in their next game on April 15 in Bengaluru.
