RCB Star Josh Hazlewood Breaks Silence On 'HazelGod' Nickname After IPL Heroics: "Hopefully..."

Josh Hazlewood picked up 22 wickets in just 12 matches, helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to their first IPL title.

Josh Hazlewood and Virat Kohli.

Mitchell Starc, spinner Nathan Lyon reflected on Hazlewood's nickname, Hazel God given by his Indian Premier League (IPL) team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans, ahead of their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at Lord's on June 11. In a video posted by ICC on Instagram, Hazlewood said, "Yeah, hopefully it runs out of steam pretty quickly." In a video posted by ICC on Instagram, Starc said, "Hopefully it sticks, because I don't think he likes it too much. He's had a fantastic few months, the big fella over in India, and he's come home with bags of cash. So I look forward to seeing him in action here atthe Lords."

"Hazel God, he actually referred to himself as it the other day, which totally took me back by surprise. Off the back of him winning the IPL, I think he's running with it," Nathan Lyon said in a video posted by ICC on Instagram.

Hazlewood arrives in UK in red hot form, completing a sensational Indian Premier League campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he picked up 22 wickets and played a crucial role in their title-winning run.

He has slowly eased back into red-ball preparation, bowling around five overs at moderate intensity during Australia's optional training session in Beckenham on Saturday.

If he pulls up well, Hazlewood will likely edge out Scott Boland for a spot in the starting XI for the WTC final. Since returning to the Test setup during the 2023 Ashes, Hazlewood has been in remarkable form, claiming 57 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 19.68.

Australia squad for WTC final: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon, Matt Kuhnemann. Travelling reserve: Brendan Doggett.