RR vs RCB, IPL 2025: Who was Unsung Hero while Virat Kohli, Phil Salt grab limelight in Bengaluru win?

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RR vs RCB: In a contest dominated by star performances from Virat Kohli and Phil Salt, the spotlight at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium was predictably fixed on Royal Challengers Bengaluru's batting icons.

Kohli, with a composed 62* off 45 balls, celebrated his 100th half-century in T20 cricket. Salt, on the other hand, was explosive with his 65 off 33, steering RCB to a nine-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals. However, amid the fireworks, it was Josh Hazlewood's quiet but game-changing intervention that proved to be the turning point-earning him the title of the match's unsung hero.

Yashasvi Jaiswal was RR's backbone on the day, playing an exceptional knock of 75 off 47 balls on a sluggish Jaipur pitch where most batters struggled to find rhythm. With a strike rate over 150 and an array of strokes around the wicket, Jaiswal looked primed to push Royals towards a daunting total that could have tested even RCB's deep batting lineup. His ability to dominate both pace and spin made him the biggest threat in RR's innings. But then came Hazlewood.

The Australian quick had bowled smartly up until that point, mixing pace, exploiting the pitch's slow nature, and sticking to tight lines. But the defining moment came when Jaiswal attempted to scoop him and missed. Hazlewood's delivery was cleverly angled wide outside off to negate the leg-side scoop. The ball struck Jaiswal's pad, and the umpire didn't hesitate. The Royals' in-form opener was gone, and with him, RR's best chance to set a total closer to 200 vanished.

That single wicket did more than just dent Rajasthan's score-it altered the momentum of the match. New batters struggled to get going on the slow surface, which meant RR could only reach 173, a total that RCB overhauled with ease and time to spare. The timing of Jaiswal's dismissal couldn't have been worse for Rajasthan, especially with Dhruv Jurel and Sanju Samson misfiring in the middle overs.

Hazlewood's figures may not have screamed heroics, but his precision and tactical awareness curtailed the Royals just when they needed a final burst. His breakthrough ensured that RCB didn't have to chase an overwhelming total, which could have made even Kohli's vintage innings more complicated.

While Kohli and Salt rightly received the plaudits for their match-winning knocks, Hazlewood's subtle brilliance with the ball and his ability to crack open the game with a single delivery must not be overlooked. On a surface where timing was difficult and acceleration came at a premium, removing the set batter was gold-and Hazlewood delivered precisely that.

In a format that often glorifies sixes and centuries, it's the smart, subtle contributions like Hazlewood's that frequently go unnoticed. But for those who watched closely, the dismissal of Jaiswal was the moment RCB seized control-and it was their unsung hero Josh Hazlewood who lit that fuse.