The availability of Australian pacers for the remainder of the Indian Premier League 2025 was in question with an injury to Josh Hazlewood and rumors about Mitchell Starc during the break.
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As the resumption of the league approaches with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru scheduled to face the Kolkata Knight Riders on May 17, the RCB fans will have something more than just the playoff qualification of celebrate as their speedster stages his return.
On the other hand, the Delhi Capitals will need to find solutions in their team as Starc has opted out to return to India after the Capitals were evacuated from Dharamsala back on May 8.
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Check out the latest report about their returns below.
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Hazlewood puts a date on his IPL return; Starc opts out of the remainder of the season
After carrying a shoulder injury that saw Hazlewood being replaced by Lungi Ngidi in a league game, the Aussie bowler was expected to miss the remainder of the season.
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However, according to the latest, the lead pacer of RCB is now expected to be back at the end of the month and could be available for the playoffs.
"Josh is preparing to arrive in India by the end of [May] last week. He will be available for the franchise for the playoffs," a source told Hindustan Times.
The DC left-arm pacer, on the other hand, has now shifted his attention towards the World Test Championship and will not be back in India this summer.
"Starc has informed the DC management that he won't be coming back. The franchise have accepted his decision," the same report stated.
How have Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc performed in IPL 2025?
Hazlewood is currently battling with the top-5 wicket-takers of the season and has 18 wickets to his name, just 2 behind Prasidh Krishna and Noor Ahmad who are at the top. Starc finished his season with 14 wickets to his name.
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| Bowler | Matches | Wickets | Economy | Avg/SR | Best figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Hazlewood | 10 | 18 | 8.44 | 17.27/12.27 | 4/33 |
| Mitchell Starc | 11 | 14 | 10.16 | 26.14/15.42 | 5/35 |