Josh Hazlewood’s Death-Over Brilliance Seals RCB’s First Chinnaswamy Triumph in IPL 2025
In a match that epitomized the rollercoaster thrill of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally delivered a long-awaited home victory for their passionate fans at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. On a balmy Thursday evening, RCB triumphed over Rajasthan Royals (RR) by a nail-biting 11-run margin in Match 42 of IPL 2025, a result that breathed new life into their campaign.
Virat Kohli, the heartbeat of Bengaluru, led from the front with a masterful 70 off 42 balls, blending calculated restraint with trademark aggression. Coming into the clash, Kohli had struggled to convert starts at Chinnaswamy, often stalling in the thirties. However, this night was different—he unleashed his fourth fifty-plus score of the season, reaching his milestone in just 32 balls with a flurry of boundaries that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
After losing the toss yet again, RCB were put in to bat by RR skipper Riyan Parag. The early overs hinted at vulnerability, with Jofra Archer’s fiery 149-kph bouncer sailing for four byes and Phil Salt narrowly surviving a dropped catch in the deep. But Kohli, alongside a gritty Devdutt Padikkal, steadied the ship. The former captain feasted on Tushar Deshpande’s wayward pace, caressing two boundaries in the fifth over to propel RCB to a robust 59/0 at the end of the powerplay.
Padikkal complemented Kohli with an equally explosive 50 off 27 balls, ensuring relentless pressure on RR’s bowling unit. Late fireworks from Tim David (23 off 15) and Jitesh Sharma (20* off 10) catapulted RCB to a formidable 205/5, setting a daunting target for the Royals on a typically high-scoring Chinnaswamy track.
Rajasthan’s reply started with a bang, led by the prodigious Yashasvi Jaiswal, who blazed his way to 49 off just 19 balls. His audacious whip-shots and lofty drives powered RR to a staggering 72/1 after six overs. However, Krunal Pandya’s wily spin turned the tide, dismissing Parag and Nitish Rana in quick succession. Dhruv Jurel’s inventive 47 kept RR in the hunt, and when Shubham Dubey smashed two boundaries off Yash Dayal, the equation was a tantalizing 18 off 12 balls.
Enter Josh Hazlewood, the Australian pace maestro, whose death-over heroics flipped the script. Earlier in the evening, Hazlewood had been taken to the cleaners, leaking 26 runs in his first two overs. But RCB captain Faf du Plessis backed his veteran pacer for the crunch moments, and Hazlewood repaid that faith with a display of sheer brilliance. In the 17th over, he conceded just 6 runs, preserving his final over for the 19th.
With RR needing 18 off the last two overs and standing at 188/7, Hazlewood returned to bowl an over for the ages. His sequence read: single, dot, wicket, wicket, dot, dot. A deceptive full-toss yielded just a scramble to long-off; a slower bouncer foxed Jurel; a lethal yorker accounted for Jurel’s wicket; and a cunning hip-high cutter forced a top-edge from Archer, caught at cover. Two final dots to Wanindu Hasaranga sealed an over that cost just 1 run and claimed 2 wickets. Hazlewood finished with figures of 4-0-33-4, with his last 12 balls costing a miserly 7 runs.
With 17 still needed off the final over, Yash Dayal emulated his heroics from the previous season, blending pinpoint yorkers with deceptive slower balls to concede only 6 runs. RR stumbled to 194/9, falling agonizingly short. Hazlewood’s ice-cold composure in the death overs, combined with Kohli’s fiery blade, handed RCB their first home win of IPL 2025, elevating them to third place with 12 points. Meanwhile, RR remained stranded in eighth spot, their playoff hopes dwindling with each passing game.
In a tournament defined by unpredictable twists, this clash at Chinnaswamy will be remembered as a testament to RCB’s resilience and Hazlewood’s knack for delivering under pressure. As the IPL 2025 caravan rolls on, Bengaluru’s faithful will hope this victory marks the beginning of a dominant home run for their beloved team.