No Hazlewood, No Yash Dayal: How Venkatesh Iyer can rescue RCB’s weak bowling in IPL opener against SRH

Josh Hazlewood, whose return has been anticipated for quite some time, is here, but will not play the first few matches—confirmed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat.

“So, as most people would know, Josh has missed quite a bit of cricket recently with injuries. So he’s currently working through a return-to-play programme. He’s doing that in Australia currently. We are liaising very closely with both Josh and Cricket Australia. And our medical teams are collaborating very strongly on a day-to-day basis on this programme,” Mo Bobat had said on March 24.

The Yash Dayal and Nuwan Thushara Void

But it is not only Hazelwood’s unavailability that has plenty of problems for the home side. The situation has worsened significantly in the last 48 hours. Nuwan Thushara, the Rs 1.6 crore death-overs specialist, has been ruled out of the entire tournament after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) denied him a No Objection Certificate (NOC) due to failed fitness tests.

This follows the total absence of last season’s hero, Yash Dayal. Dayal is sidelined for the entire 2026 season due to ongoing legal proceedings, including a serious POCSO case in Jaipur. 

Because the franchise retained his contract at Rs 5 crore rather than releasing him, they are legally barred from seeking an injury replacement, leaving a permanent gap in the squad.

Who Leads the Attack at the Chinnaswamy?

With three frontline pacers out, veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar must anchor an incredibly raw attack. The franchise is expected to lean on its Rs 5.2 crore uncapped “wildcard” and a New Zealand debutant to fill the void.

Bowler	T20 Matches	Wickets	Economy Rate	Status / Role
Bhuvneshwar Kumar	285	302	7.40	Lead Attack: Powerplay & Death specialist.
Jacob Duffy	118	144	8.20	Overseas Debut: Hazlewood’s direct replacement.
Rasikh Salam Dar	38	42	8.85	Domestic Depth: High-pace hit-the-deck bowler.
Mangesh Yadav	2	4	9.50	The Wildcard: High-price debutant from MP.
Romario Shepherd	125	135	9.10	All-rounder: Seam-up utility at the death.

The Venkatesh Iyer Solution: Can the Part-Timer Lead the Attack?

With the frontline pace battery decimated, the visual of Venkatesh Iyer consistently bowling in the nets alongside Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar isn’t just a drill—it’s a necessity. Historically, Iyer has been a “partnership breaker” rather than a lead bowler, but the 2025-26 season has seen him take his bowling much more seriously.

In the recently concluded Ranji Trophy (2025-26), Iyer showed significant rhythm, notably picking up a 3-wicket haul against Jammu and Kashmir and a brilliant 4-wicket haul for Madhya Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. However, the Chinnaswamy stadium, with its thin air and short boundaries, is a different beast compared to domestic circuits.

Venkatesh Iyer T20 Bowling Numbers

IPL 2026: RCB Predicted Playing XI vs SRH

Virat Kohli, Phil Salt (WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Rajat Patidar (C), Devdutt Padikkal, Jacob Bethell, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Mangesh Yadav

Facing an explosive SRH lineup featuring Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen at the high-scoring Chinnaswamy, RCB’s makeshift bowling unit will need more than just “Play Bold” spirit to keep their title defense on track.