Josh Hazlewood's arrival date confirmed, bittersweet moment for RCB; DC's Starc opts out of IPL, du Plessis joins squad

"Josh is preparing to arrive in India by the end of last week (of May). He will be available for the playoffs," a well-informed source told Hindustan Times.

Updated on: May 17, 2025, 09:06:26 IST

By Vishesh Roy

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Australia speedster Josh Hazlewood is all set to rejoin the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 playoffs. Sources privy to developments confirmed to Hindustan Times that the ace speedster, who has been the standout performer for the Rajat Patidar-led side in the 18th edition of the T20 tournament, is preparing to arrive in India by the end of next week and will be available for the franchise for the playoffs.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Josh Hazlewood (AP)

Hazlewood is managing a shoulder niggle but he is expected to be available for the franchise for the all-important playoffs. Hazlewood's availability is all set to give the franchise a massive boost as South Africa pacer Lungi Ngidi won't be available for RCB for the playoffs after Cricket South Africa (CSA) decided to call back their players from the IPL by May 26 for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final.

"Josh is preparing to arrive in India by the end of last week (of May). He will be available for the franchise for the playoffs," a well-informed source confirmed to Hindustan Times.

Hazlewood is at the third spot in the leading wicket-takers list in IPL 2025 as he has scalped 18 wickets in 10 matches. The Australian quick had earlier missed the fixture against Chennai Super Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium due to a shoulder niggle.

The pacer then returned home after the IPL 2025 season was suspended due to the rising escalation at the borders between India and Pakistan. However, the tournament's resumption date was announced after the ceasefire declaration.

Ever since the announcement, fans have been wondering whether Hazlewood would return amid growing reports of the pacer not wanting to return. Hindustan Times was the first to report on Thursday that the pacer has initiated conversations with RCB and is looking to return for the remainder of the tournament.

Mitchell Starc opts out

Delhi Capitals have been dealt a body blow ahead of the resumption of the IPL 2025. Mitchell Starc, the Australian left-arm pacer, has informed the Delhi Capitals management that he doesn't intend to come back. Starc is the second Delhi Capitals player after Jake Fraser-McGurk to opt out of the remainder of the tournament.

Delhi recently named Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman as Jake Fraser-McGurk's replacement. However, the left-arm pacer's participation in the IPL 2025 is in limbo after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) stated that the pacer has yet to ask for a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from them.

"Starc has informed the DC management that he won't be coming back. The franchise have accepted his decision," a source confirmed to Hindustan Times.

Faf du Plessis, Stubbs join DC

Delhi Capitals on Saturday confirmed that vice-captain Faf du Plessis and teammate Tristan Stubbs have rejoined the team ahead of the resumption of IPL 2025.

The franchise has also confirmed that Australian pacer Mitchell Starc and South African all-rounder Donovan Ferreira are currently unavailable. Delhi Capitals fully respects their decision, and extends its support and best wishes for their continued success.

With IPL 2025 set to resume on May 17, Delhi Capitals will face Gujarat Titans in their next fixture at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, May 18.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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