Josh Hazlewood to miss initial stages of IPL 2023

Josh Hazlewood will not be available to Royal Challengers Bangalore for the initial stages of IPL 2023 as he continues to recover from an injury. The experienced Australian seamer, who is currently in Sydney, will consult Cricket Australia’s medical staff before joining the franchise for the 16th edition of IPL.

Hazlewood, who was snapped up by RCB for INR 7.75 Crore, returned home midway during the Border-Gavaskar series as he recuperated from Achilles tendinitis, having picked up the injury during Australia’s home summer. While he did make a comeback in the third Test against South Africa in January, Hazlewood counldn’t partake in any of the four Tests against India and also the three ODIs that followed.

With Australia slated to play the World Test Championship final and the Ashes soon after the conclusion of the IPL, Hazlewood’s fitness will be a priority for Cricket Australia, who will monitor the 32-year old closely.