Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif shared his thoughts on how Royal Challengers Bengaluru‘s previous efforts might go to waste without Josh Hazlewood. He pointed out that the team has let in over 200 runs in both games Hazlewood wasn’t there for during IPL 2025. To fill the gap, Bengaluru has brought in Lungi Ngidi as their main overseas bowler.
Kaif mentioned in a video on his X account that the team has really felt the loss of Hazlewood. All of RCB’s hard work could be spoiled because Hazlewood wasn’t there for these last two matches. They gave up over 200 runs in both games—first against CSK and now against SRH, he said.
He added that without Hazlewood, the bowling lineup seems a bit one-dimensional. When he was playing, RCB had only let in 200 runs once this whole season. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal looked good when bowling with him, but it’s different now, Kaif explained.
Can RCB reach top 2 without Hazlewood? pic.twitter.com/hE6GdbgIJd
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) May 23, 2025
If Hazlewood isn’t back soon, Kaif believes it’ll be tough for RCB to clinch wins as the tournament progresses. After a heavy loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Bengaluru (17 points) has dropped to third place behind Gujarat Titans (18 points) and Punjab Kings (17 points). Their Net Run Rate also took a hit.
Facing a massive target of 232, set after Ishan Kishan scored a dazzling 94 not out off 48 balls, Bengaluru needed a strong chase. They managed to put up some resistance with Phil Salt (62 off 32 balls), Virat Kohli (43 off 25), and Jitesh Sharma (24 off 15), but ultimately only reached 189 before getting all out.
The chase started well, with Kohli and Salt racing to 80 runs in just seven overs. RCB’s next match is against the Lucknow Super Giants on May 27 at their home ground.
