A highly anticipated showdown between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) is all set to be held at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, from 7.30 pm today (May 29). Prior to the match, RCB and cricket fans are eagerly waiting to know about the availability of Josh Hazlewood and Tim David. 

RCB confirmed their Qualifier 1 spot by defeating Lucknow Super Giants in a high-octane match where Hazlewood and David were not part of the RCB playing combination. Both the overseas players were sidelined due to injury concerns. The star Australian pacer missed three group stage matches due to a shoulder injury, and the all-rounder Tim David sustained a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the previous encounter against LSG. 

Along with injury concerns, Hazlewood's availability for the rest of IPL 2025 was in doubt as Australia was set to take on South Africa for the World Test Championship title. But later it was confirmed that the prolific pacer will be there to play for his IPL team. Jitesh Sharma, the stand-in skipper for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in place of injured regular captain Rajat Patidar, confirmed that the Aussie pacer is ready to play IPL matches against and will be part of the first XI. This, it is anticipated, Hazlewood can play against Punjab Kings. 

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RCB can shuffle playing combination vs. PBKS 

But there is no confirmation about Tim David. As of now, it is understood that the highly valueding all-rounder is still recovering from his leg injury and can take more time to fully recover. RCB may have to field their first XI without him. 

In this scenario, if RCB management wants to put Hazlewood in the playing set-up against Punjab in today's match, then they have to put one foreign player from the last encounter's playing XI on the bench. Nuwan Thushara took a wicket against Lucknow and spent only 26 for a 6.50 economy rate can be dropped to make some room for Josh Hazelwood.