IPL 2025: Why is Josh Hazlewood not playing in RCB vs CSK Match 52?. (Photo source: X)

Josh Hazlewood will not be featuring in the 52nd match of the between RCB and CSK in the IPL 2025. The star pacer, who has been arguably the best bowler of the tournament with 18 wickets in 10 games, will not bowl against his former team. During the toss, the RCB skipper confirmed the news and revealed Proteas pacer Lungi Ngidi as his replacement in the Playing XI for the riveting clash at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.

CSK named the likes of Shivam Dube, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, and Jamie Overton as the potential impact substitutes. On the other hand, RCB named the likes of Suyash Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, and Swapnil Singh as their list of players who could be used as impact substitutes in the match.

CSK's skipper, MS Dhoni, won the toss and elected to bowl first in Bengaluru at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium. RCB's skipper, Rajat Patidar, claimed that he would have loved to bowl first too. Dhoni claimed the wicket in Bengaluru to be a bit tacky. While RCB had one change in their XI, CSK went with the same team.

Ngidi, who is playing his first match of the season and also making his RCB debut, will look to provide the same sort of attack with the ball like Hazlewood. With the Aussie pacer now not being a part of the contest, Ngidi will be having the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal as the frontline pacers.

We are looking to bowl first. We want to make the most of the last four games we have got. Try to look into next year and which indivdual will fit into what role. Yes we want to win games but getting the most of the four games is important. It seems tacky, must have been under covers for quite some time and other than that it is a venue where scoring runs is easy. It is a high-scoring venue and after the initial start it will be quite good to bat on. It is important to express but the batters need to play to their strengths, if you are bowler don't think what if the execution is not right, make a plan and bowl with full confidence. (Powerplay plans) Let it be plans Ravi Bhai (laughs). Same team.

We would have fielded as well. But the wicket will not change that much. We will try to put a good total on the board and keep them under pressure. Everyone is in a good frame of mind and doing their roles, as a captain I am very confident in my boys. Till now many players have performed for the team and that is a good sign. We have 4 games and we will try our best in all the games. Every game is important from now, we are not looking at qualification and we will try our best in all four games. One change - Ngidi comes in for Josh.

Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Deepak Hooda, MS Dhoni(C & WK), Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Matheesha Pathirana

Impact Subs: Shivam Dube, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Jamie Overton

Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(C), Jitesh Sharma(WK), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lungi Ngidi, Yash Dayal

Impact Subs: Suyash Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Swapnil Singh