"Shreyas Iyer isn't able to play at all against him" - Aakash Chopra lauds RCB bowler's spell in IPL 2025 Qualifier 1 win vs PBKS
Former India player Aakash Chopra has lauded Josh Hazlewood for bowling a potent spell in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2025 Qualifier 1 win against the Punjab Kings (PBKS). He pointed out that PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer has invariably struggled against the RCB seamer.
Hazlewood had Shreyas caught behind for a three-ball two as RCB bowled PBKS out for 101 in the first playoff game of IPL 2025 in New Chandigarh on Thursday, May 29. Rajat Patidar and company then chased the target down with eight wickets and 10 overs to spare to qualify for the final to be played in Ahmedabad on June 3.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener praised Hazlewood for bowling a penetrative spell despite returning from an injury, highlighting that he continued his dominance over Shreyas.
"Josh Hazlewood came, and what a trajectory this guy has. He doesn't stop. He had come after an injury. At times, you are slightly ginger when you return from injury and are playing your first match. He said 'Forget that, I will do it,'" Chopra said (1:40).
"He dismissed Shreyas Iyer for the fourth time. Shreyas Iyer isn't able to play at all against him, and he didn't stop there. After that, Josh Inglis. I thought those were the two biggest wickets in the middle order, and it was all over," he added.
After dismissing Shreyas Iyer, Josh Hazlewood had Josh Inglis (4 off 7) caught by Bhuvneshwar Kumar at deep fine leg. The Australian seamer then had Azmatullah Omarzai (18 off 12) caught behind by Jitesh Sharma to finish with figures of 3/21 in 3.1 overs.
"What was this team's weakness?" - Aakash Chopra lauds Suyash Sharma's spell in RCB's IPL 2025 Qualifier 1 win vs PBKS
![Suyash Sharma picked up three wickets in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 1. [P/C: Getty]](https://staticgf.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/05/0b77c-17485811141440-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that spin bowling was perceived to be RCB's likely weakness in IPL 2025.
"What was this team's weakness? If you ask me to preview this team once again now, I would still say there is a slight weakness in spin bowling, and there is no upgrade in spin in the form of Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma, and that there are chances of them getting stuck there," he said (4:10).
The cricketer-turned-commentator noted that while Krunal Pandya has impressed in previous games, Suyash Sharma was at his potent best in Qualifier 1.
"Krunal Pandya had already won two Player of the Match awards, and now Suyash Sharma came and bowled within the three stumps. His googly turns more. The leg spin turns less. He picked up three wickets, and whose wickets were those - Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, and Musheer Khan, who came in as the impact player," Chopra observed.
Chopra added that the RCB wrist-spinner flummoxed the PBKS batters with his pace and guile to prove the franchise's detractors wrong.
"He was outstanding, considering the way he bowled. The speed at which bowls, you cannot pull him. You are slightly scared while playing the sweep as well. However, if you are unable to read him from his hand, he will hit your stumps. It should have been the weak link logically. Forget logically, see what the kid has done practically," Chopra elaborated.
Suyash Sharma registered figures of 3/17 in three overs in RCB's IPL 2025 Qualifier 1 clash against PBKS. He castled Marcus Stoinis (26 off 17) and Shashank Singh (3 off 5), and trapped Musheer Khan (0 off 3) plumb in front of the wickets.