[CRK]
Josh Hazlewood has opened up about the long and frustrating injury layoff that sidelined him for close to five months, admitting he tried to rush back too soon — a decision that ultimately set his recovery back. Now back in the thick of IPL 2026 action with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the 35-year-old fast bowler says the key lesson from his ordeal is simple: respect the injury.
The Cost of Rushing Back
Hazlewood’s injury saga began in November last year with a hamstring strain during a Sheffield Shield match. But it didn’t end there. What followed was a chain of setbacks: an Achilles/tendon issue during rehab, then a torn calf — the trifecta that ruled him out of marquee events like the Ashes and the T20 World Cup.
Reflecting on the period, Hazlewood acknowledged that his eagerness to return early — possibly for the fourth or fifth Ashes Test or the World Cup — worsened his condition.
“Some [injuries] are harder than others. This time around, it was obviously quite a long time out of the game. Just a few things crept in, I think mostly through probably trying to rush back a little bit.”
His message is clear: patience is non-negotiable, especially for athletes “on the wrong side of 30.”
Back in the IPL: A Measured Return
Hazlewood finally returned to action against the Rajasthan Royals, picking up two wickets but also conceding 44 runs, with youngsters Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel capitalizing on his rustiness. He sat out the next match against Mumbai Indians — a planned break — before bouncing back strongly against Lucknow Super Giants, finishing with impressive figures of 1 for 20.
“I probably had a few more sessions here than what I felt I needed,” he said. “It’s really hard to replicate that intensity of training. But once you’re out there in the middle of a huge crowd, guys hitting you for six every ball, the intensity goes up a lot.”
Sticking to His Strengths
Unlike many modern T20 bowlers who rely on a variety of slower balls and cutters, Hazlewood continues to bank on hard lengths and awkward bounce — a throwback to Test-match discipline.
“My strength is hitting the length, hitting it hard, not floating the ball up,” he said. “That’s what makes it hard for the batter to hit me off that length. They know it, and I know it.”
He’s also developed a clever trick: a delivery setup that mimics an offcutter grip before switching to a faster ball. It’s a subtle mind game — part deception, part cat-and-mouse.
“I probably don’t have a great slower ball, so it’s just about trying to confuse the batter… showing it and bowling it, or showing it and not bowling it.”
Learning from a Balanced Attack
Hazlewood praised RCB’s diverse bowling unit, comparing it to the depth and variety of the Australian national team. He emphasized how each bowler brings a unique skill set, making the attack well-rounded.
“Ours is a balanced attack; everyone’s a little bit different. I like to learn off the other guys at training as well,” he said. “In the game, it’s about nailing down your strengths.”
‘Pressure in IPL Is on the Batters, Not Bowlers’
With 200+ scores now routine and 424 sixes already hit this season, the narrative often paints bowlers as under siege. But Hazlewood sees it differently.
“From a bowler’s point of view, it almost takes the pressure off a little bit,” he explained. “The batsmen are expected to score big every game — 230 now, maybe. So if you can get a batter two off six balls, the pressure on them is huge.”
He described the psychological effect: “You can just see a player almost melt out there in the middle… they’re two off six and they just cannot find the gap.”
In today’s T20 landscape, Hazlewood believes, the burden has shifted. And that, he says, makes it a more intriguing — and less stressful — challenge for bowlers like him.
