Josh Hazlewood the finals magnet delivers RCB’s long-awaited Indian Premier League crown

Dubai: While Virat Kohli wept and the stadium erupted, one man walked off the field without fuss — just another final, just another win. Josh Hazlewood had done it again, anchoring Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s bowling effort in a nervy IPL final that finally broke the team’s title curse.

The Australian fast bowler’s quiet efficiency was at the heart of RCB’s six-run win over Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad, a victory that sealed the franchise’s first-ever IPL trophy after 18 long years of heartbreak. Hazlewood, who returned to the squad this season after an injury layoff, brought a sense of calm and control that RCB had long lacked in big matches.

“It means everything to Kohli,” Hazlewood said after the win. “To be there from the start and get the result tonight will bring out a lot of emotion.”

The numbers are staggering. Hazlewood has now featured in six major finals — including the 2015 and 2023 ODI World Cups, the 2021 T20 World Cup, the 2021 IPL final with Chennai Super Kings, and the 2012 Champions League T20 with Sydney Sixers. He has ended up on the winning side every single time.

Needing 29 off the final over, Hazlewood delivered two dot balls that sealed the match in RCB's favour. “I think 190 was a good score, the wicket was up and down. It may have gotten better in the second innings. Everyone chipped in,” he said. “Coming back? Absolutely. Won’t get a better experience than this.”

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, another of RCB’s seasoned campaigners, also played a crucial role in the final, keeping his nerve in the slog overs. The veteran seamer emphasised how important it was to assess the surface quickly.

“We knew the wicket would not be easy, and 190 would not be easy. It was 10 more than we thought,” he said.

He credited Krunal Pandya’s spell — 4-0-17-2 — as the turning point. “His spell changed the scenario for us. Change of pace was not easy, but we thought we would not over-use it.”

For RCB, it was more than just a title. It was the end of a narrative that had long defined them — the nearly-men of the IPL, the entertainers who couldn’t quite finish. And at the centre of that redemption stood Hazlewood, unfazed as ever, doing what he does best when it matters most.

In a team fuelled by emotion and history, he brought the one thing they had always lacked: championship-winning composure.