In a thrilling IPL 2025 encounter at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) broke their home ground jinx by defeating Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 11 runs, thanks in large part to a stellar performance by Josh Hazlewood.?
RCB break home ground jinx, thanks to Josh Hazlewood
Despite posting a mammoth total of 205 for 5, RCB found themselves in a tense spot as Rajasthan Royals came out swinging. Yashasvi Jaiswal set the tone early with a fiery 49 off just 19 balls in the powerplay, putting the RCB bowlers under real pressure at the Chinnaswamy. His aggressive start was later complemented by Dhruv Jurel, who played a composed yet impactful knock of 47 off 34 balls, keeping RR well in the chase deep into the innings.
However, it was Josh Hazlewood＊s 19th over that turned the tide for Bengaluru. With Rajasthan Royals needing just 18 off the final 12 balls, Hazlewood delivered a masterclass in death-over bowling. He conceded just one run while picking up two crucial wickets〞dismissing the dangerous Dhruv Jurel and sending Jofra Archer back before he could settle. Across his final two overs, the Aussie pacer grabbed three wickets and gave away only seven runs, effectively ripping the game out of RR＊s hands and sealing a long-awaited home win for RCB.
Fans of RCB stormed X to hail Hazlewood＊s match-winning spell, flooding social media with praise, calling his 19th over a ※masterclass in death bowling§ for his calm under pressure, with many comparing him to the great Aussie bowler Glenn McGrath.
"Build this man a statue in Chinnaswamy," one user wrote.?Another said, "Fucking UNREAL, man. Never seen the McGrath era. But I＊m sure McGrath was never this good."
A third wrote, "Hazlewood, are you kidding me? What a world-class bowler Josh Hazlewood is! What a win for RCB at Bengaluru!"
"Our own McGrath," RCB fan added.
In a heartwarming moment that perfectly captured the night, Virat Kohli ran up to Josh Hazlewood and literally lifted him off the ground, celebrating not just the victory but the man who made it possible.
Fans praise Jitesh Sharma
While Hazlewood＊s fiery spell stole the spotlight, RCB fans also gave credit where it was due, praising wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma for a game-changing call. Sharma took the bold decision to refer a faint edge off Dhruv Jurel to the third umpire, resulting in a crucial dismissal just when RR looked set to chase down the target. Then, he followed it up with a run-out of Wanindu Hasaranga, showing his quick reflexes.
RCB had lost their last four home games and three matches in a row before this win. With this much-needed victory, Rajat Patidar＊s team has moved up to third place on the points table with 12 points, just behind Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals.