New Delhi: Josh Hazlewood is one of the best fast bowlers in T20 cricket at present. At a time when batters have adopted an ultra-attacking approach in T20s and are not shying away from going all out against the bowlers from the word go, Hazlewood remains one of the most effective defensive bowlers in the shortest format.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Australia pacer recently opened on his secret to success in T20s. Hazlewood, who has enjoyed great success in Test cricket owing to his ability to hit hard lengths and stick to the right areas while bowling, has utilised the same skills to succeed in T20s.
The tall pacer revealed his secret to success is the ability to hit the hard length consistently and not allow the batters to score freely. The RCB pacer utilises his high release, pinpoint accuracy and ability to swing the ball both ways to trouble the best of the batters in the shortest format.
Hazlewood believes the bowlers should know how to adapt and execute under pressure, which remains the key to succeed in an unpredictable format like T20s.
“My strength is hitting that hard length consistently and making it difficult for batters to score. In T20 cricket, it’s about executing that under pressure and adapting when needed,” said Hazlewood, opening up on his success in T20 cricket.
“With the way T20 cricket is going, the expectations on batters are very high. If you can build a few quiet deliveries, the pressure can shift quickly and create opportunities,” he added.
Hazlewood was a later bloomer in T20Is for Australia, but has proved his credentials as one of the best pacers in the format over the last few years. He was part of Australia’s T20 World Cup-winning squad in 2021 and played a key role in Chennai Super Kings (CSK)’s IPL title triumph the same year. He helped RCB clinch their maiden IPL title last season with some impressive spells.
Hazlewood played an instrumental role in RCB’s maiden IPL title victory with 22 wickets in 12 matches. The Australian pacer finished as the highest wicket-taker for the Rajat Patidar-led side as they defeated the Punjab Kings in the final to lift the IPL 2025 title.
Josh Hazlewood continues impressive run in IPL 2026
Hazlewood has continued his impressive run for RCB in the ongoing IPL 2026. The Aussie pacer missed his side’s first few matches of the season due to an injury but has slotted back seamlessly and has been leading the defending champions’ pace attack. He finished with excellent figures of 1/20 to help RCB beat Lucknow Super Giants last week.
Hazlewood went wicketless against Delhi Capitals in RCB’s last game as the Axar Patel-led side pulled off a thrilling chase at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Nonetheless, his arrival has significantly bolstered RCB’s pace attack and boosted their chances of going all the way in the tournament for the second season in a row.
“It’s been really pleasing to be back and contributing again. You learn a lot from time away due to injury, especially about respecting the recovery process, and the focus was on coming back fully ready and performing at this level,” Hazlewood said on joining RCB after his injury layoff.