The Australian report card in the IPL 2025 examination Premium

Josh Hazlewood shines in IPL with precision bowling, while Glenn Maxwell disappoints; a breakdown of key Australian players' performances.

The precision-personified Josh Hazlewood has been the standout Australian performer of this IPL season. The ‘Hazlegod’ nickname, conferred on by RCB fans, feels earned.

In stark contrast, Glenn Maxwell has been drastically underwhelming considering his T20 form before the IPL; Jake Fraser-McGurk has regressed from explosive to ineffective; Travis Head, though he’s still contributing, hasn’t dominated pace like last season and is clearly below his blistering 2024 standards.

From the best to the worst, here’s a performance breakdown of the regularly-featured key Australian players in this IPL season.

Josh Hazlewood (18 wkts): At the MRF Pace Foundation ground here in March, Glenn McGrath, asked to pick pacers he thought would do well this season, picked Josh Hazlewood - besides, of course, Jasprit Bumrah (no-brainer) - for their “best control.”

McGrath added: “You don’t have to bowl a completely different ball every ball, but as long as you have that execution...”

How well has Hazlewood executed for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru this season! To begin with, a honed skill and a physical attribute have helped him shine. Nothing fancy.

Honed skill: Consistently bowling in the channel outside off.