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Indian batsman Hanuma Vihari suggested that Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) should include England fast bowler Josh Tong for the upcoming season of the league.
Vihari asked RCB to consider England’s international matches as Josh Hazlewood may miss the next season of the Indian Premier League due to the Australian cricket team’s busy schedule in international cricket. Josh Hazlewood remains one of RCB’s frontline seamers.
Josh Hazlewood played a key role in RCB’s trophy-winning season
In both of their victorious seasons, the Australian fast bowler played a vital role. Hazlewood, along with Indian swing master Bhuvneshwar Kumar, proved effective on the field time and again.
If Josh Hazlewood misses the next edition of the franchise league, the defending champions will have to find a replacement who can be as effective as Josh Hazlewood. Josh Tongue has performed impressively so far in the ongoing 5-match T20 series against India in England.
Hanuma Vihari asks Royal Challengers Bangalore to sign Josh Tong
Hanuma Vihari’s comments came after the English pacer had a brilliant spell against India in the third match of the series, where Tong dismissed Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Harshit Rana and Shivam Dubey with bowling figures of 4/28 in a four-over spell.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the Indian batsman mentioned that due to the upcoming ODI World Cup in 2027 and the Ashes against England, Josh Hazlewood may not have enough time to participate in IPL 2027. So the franchise will have to look for someone who can be his perfect replacement.
“RCB should definitely pick this bowler in the auction next year and that bowler is Josh Tongue. The reason is that there is a bit of concern about Josh Hazlewood’s availability. Next year is the World Cup and the Ashes, so he will have a busy schedule, so there is a doubt whether he will be available in the IPL or not,” he said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Hanuma Vihari further said that Josh Tong’s pace and bowling action will be effective at M Chinnaswamy’s home ground in Bengaluru.
He said, “Josh Tongue has been bowling at over 145 in the recent series. He has good height and arm release too. He is a hit-the-deck bowler and will be a perfect fit for the Chinnaswamy Stadium. RCB will definitely be keeping an eye on Josh Tongue.”
Jacob Duffy did well as replacement for Josh Hazlewood
Last season, Josh Hazlewood joined the Bengaluru-based franchise late for the 2026 campaign. In the absence of the experienced seamer, Royal Challengers Bangalore included New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy in their playing combination.
Duffy was impressive in his first few matches. He was later dropped from the bench as Hazlewood joined the camp. Jammu and Kashmir’s uncapped Indian bowler Rasikh Salim Dhar was surprisingly impressive with his medium pace.
In two consecutive seasons, RCB won the IPL title by maintaining pure dominance. The upcoming season will bring the opportunity for them to claim a hat-trick of trophy wins, which no team has done before in the history of the league.