After a five-month hiatus, Hazlewood returned to the cricket field, playing against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati last week.
“I believe this time it was quite a significant break from the game. It was challenging to be at home doing rehab while cricket continued, especially with the Ashes and World Cup happening. I was eager to return for the IPL, but I didn’t want to rush back,” Hazlewood stated ahead of the match against Delhi Capitals.
Hazlewood also shared that he made a concerted effort to regain full fitness before the T20 World Cup in February. Unfortunately, his attempts were unsuccessful, leading to Australia’s early exit from the tournament.
“It wasn’t a stress fracture. Initially, it was my hamstring, followed by some tendon issues. It wasn’t the Achilles, but rather the FHL tendon nearby, and then I had a torn calf. A few problems accumulated.
“I think I may have rushed back a bit, trying to make it in time for the fourth or fifth Ashes Test or the World Cup. But you have to respect injuries, especially when you’re past 30. It’s about acknowledging the time required for recovery. Playing at this level (in the IPL) involves a significant intensity.
“We planned to miss the first two matches, then participate in one (vs RR), and quickly returning to miss match four and play again (vs LSG). Hopefully, our schedule is looking good now,” he added.
So, how does he assess his fitness and readiness after two matches? Hazlewood faced difficulties against RR’s young star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi but made an impressive comeback versus Lucknow, earning the Player of the Match title with a spell of 4-0-20-1.
“I covered everything I could possibly do; I probably even had more sessions than I might have needed to prepare. I felt ready about four or five days before the Rajasthan game.
“The intensity, especially in T20, doesn’t require a large volume of training, but it’s crucial to reach the level of intensity the game demands. That was the main focus for me in the last four weeks leading into this tournament, and I felt I accomplished that,” he noted.
RCB has started the season strongly, winning four out of five matches so far. Their only defeat came against RR, but RCB has emerged as a formidable team. They have maintained consistency in most areas, remaining at the forefront of the evolving landscape of T20 cricket.
