Josh Hazlewood has again proved why he’s the worldwide master in white-ball finals, spearheading Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s successful defence of their IPL crown with another magnificent display in their triumph over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.
Hazlewood’s fellow Aussie Tim David played his part in RCB’s successful pursuit too on Sunday, helping Virat Kohli, the peerless ‘chasemeister’ himself, in a key stand as they pulled off a five-wicket victory with 12 balls remaining.
Kohli was unbeaten on 75 off 42 balls, steering RCB to their target on 5-161, but his embrace of fellow veteran Hazlewood demonstrated just how much the 35-year-old had earlier done to pave the way, amazingly, for his eighth successive victory in a white-ball final.
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Indeed, ‘Hoff’ is yet to lose one.
“That was right up there,” said Hazlewood of his third IPL triumph, having taken 15 wickets and even having joined RCB belatedly after recovering from injuries.
“Someone always stepped up when they needed to. We had like 10 different man-of-the-matches, so amazing depth in the squad. Anyone who came in did a great job.”
Including him, of course. For after being asked to bowl, the Aussie spearhead lit the fuse in his opening over, dismissing India Test captain Shubman Gill second ball to put Gujarat’s Matthew Hayden-coached batting line-up under the cosh immediately.
With his strike partner Bhuvneshwar Kumar impressing once again with his 2-29 and fellow pacer Rasikh Salam taking 3-27, Hazlewood, as he always seems to, rose to the occasion in front of more than 100,000 fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium to take 2-37, after also getting rid of the threatening Arshad Khan.
Though Washington Sundar did take some late runs off him to reach an unbeaten half-century and give Gujarat a fighting chance at 8-155, there was an inevitability about the outcome once 37-year-old Kohli got to work serenely.
His 68th IPL fifty, to go with his nine tons, was his fastest half-century, his terrific knock featuring three sixes and nine fours, and when there was a slight alarm for RCB as they slipped to 4-91, David helped the great man steady the ship in a 41-run partnership that all but cemented the triumph.
David scored 24 off 17 before getting caught behind, ending his season with 305 valuable ‘finishing’ runs at a strike-rate of 188, leaving Kohli to end the job as he totalled 675 runs for the season at an average of 56.25.
He finished fourth in the list of top run-scorers, with the amazing 15-year-old Rajasthan batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ending with the ‘orange cap’ with a total of 776 runs that included, almost unbelievably, 72 sixes. The teen also won the tournament MVP gong.
“It’s amazing,” Kohli said.
“Just to have a group of guys where you feel like you’re stepping onto the ground, you don’t need to be the one to step up every time. There’s guys behind you, around you, who can win games of cricket for you.
“We have so many man of the match awards spread throughout the group as well — you look at world-class bowling like Hoff, Bhuv, Duff. Krunal Pandya, you can bank on him as good as ever. Rasikh Dar was brilliant this season. All the batsmen chipped in as well.
“I feel so happy to play in a group where we have balance, we have strength and we are an all-round strong team. That’s why we have the confidence we have on the field right now.”
Hazlewood’s extraordinary white-ball finals record
2012 Champions League T20 (Johannesburg): Sydney Sixers beat Lions (4-1-21-3)
2015 World Cup (Melbourne): Australia beat New Zealand (8-2-30-0)
2020 BBL (Sydney): Sydney Sixers beat Melbourne Stars (3-0-18-1)
2021 IPL (Dubai): Chennai Super Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders (4-0-29-2)
2021 T20 World Cup (Dubai): Australia beat New Zealand (4-0-16-3)
2023 World Cup (Ahmedabad): Australia beat India (10-0-60-2)
2025 IPL (Ahmedabad): Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Punjab Kings (4-0-54-1)
2026 IPL (Ahmedabad) Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans (4-0-37-2)
