RCB’s fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is expected to miss the team’s first seven matches of IPL 2023 due to an Achilles injury. The Australian pacer is expected to join the Royal Challengers Bangalore camp in mid-April.
Thus, the 32-year-old would not be available for selection until the third week of the month. The Royal Challengers Bangalore’s IPL 2023 campaign is in jeopardy due to a string of injuries to their key players.
Will Jacks was the first to be ruled out of the forthcoming competition for RCB. Thereafter, RCB faced major blow with injuries to renowned pacer Hazlewood and last year’s breakout talent Rajat Patidar.
Hazlewood, who suffered an Achilles injury earlier this year and missed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, has set a return date. The Australian pacer announced that he will fly to India for the IPL 2023 on April 14 and hopes to play by the third week of April.
Hazlewood comments ahead of IPL 2023 kick-off
“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.
In terms of workload management, the star pacer believes it is easier to handle in the shortest format of the game because a bowler only needs to be at his best for 20 deliveries, as opposed to ODIs and Tests.
Hazlewood also stated that his injury will take time to recover, but that taking part in the 16th edition of the IPL will help him prepare for the Ashes later this year.
“You don’t need a lot of workload for T20. It’s more just ticking off those boxes of getting up to speed and pushing back in the run-up. I’m probably only going to need to do one or two sessions at full pace and then I’m probably good to play. T20 is a lot different to Test and even one-day cricket. You only need 20 balls at full pace and that’s pretty close to a game, which is a good thing.”
“It’s a niggly one, the Achilles tendon. It’s a slow process but it thrives on a bit of work, and I’d have to be bowling to prepare for the Ashes, so it may as well be in a game of cricket,”
Hazlewood added.
RCB will kick-off their IPL 2023 campaign on Sunday, April 2 against Mumbai Indians. While out of many players available for the first clash, Glenn Maxwell is still doubtful for the first game.
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