IPL 2023 | Hazlewood likely to miss first 7 games of RCB; Maxwell doubtful for team’s first match against MI

Australia’s Josh Hazlewood during a practice session. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Set to miss at least first leg of the IPL due to an Achilles (heel) problem, Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood would reach India by April 14 but would take another week to be match-fit.

While Hazlewood will miss at least seven IPL games, his Australian teammate Glenn Maxwell is doubtful for RCB’s opening match against Mumbai Indians on April 2 in Bengaluru as he is yet to fully regain strength post leg fracture.

“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,” Hazlewood was quoted as saying by The Age.

“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, who had to opt out of Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India, is hoping to get ready for the Ashes via the IPL.

“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,” he said.

The 32-year-old pacer, however, is still awaiting a medical clearance from Cricket Australia before departing for India.

“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 said.