The Australian veteran, usually so difficult to get away, was hammered for 56 off his four overs, clocked for four sixes, a five and five fours off his 24 deliveries, as the Gujarat Titans put his champion Royal Challengers Bengaluru outfit to the sword with a four-wicket win in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
There had been plenty of anticipation as the 35-year-old roared in, buoyed after his brilliant 4-12 in the win over the Capitals in Delhi on Monday, but Shubman Gill was ready for the fray and delivered one of the most elegant takedowns of the season by carving up Hazlewood's first over for 24.
Defending a modest total of 155, RCB were counting on Hazlewood strangling India's Test captain at the start of Gujarat's reply but instead had to watch Gill take apart his bowling with exquisite skill.
The first two balls were flayed through the offside for four, the fourth ball deposited regally over deep mid on for six, the fifth carved expertly behind point for four more with the piece de resistance a lazy flick off his legs for six over square leg.
The 24 taken off the over made it Hazlewood's joint-most expensive over in his IPL career, matching the figure at the death of a 2022 innings against Punjab Kings, when Liam Livingstone treated his bowling with equal, and equally rare, disdain.
Hazlewood went for 64 that day, so he was at least spared the indignity of giving up more runs than that nadir.
He must, however, have been irritated to give up a five when Virat Kohli launched four overthrows, and then be clubbed for a couple more sixes by Jos Buttler, who he also had dropped.
Given the fine launch by Gill (43 off 18) and Buttler (39 off 19), Gujarat got to their target comfortably enough with 25 balls to spare to move up to fifth in the table, while RCB stay second.
Earlier, Gujarat's four-man pace attack bowled out Bengaluru despite Kohli's blazing start as he, like Gill, played a series of glorious and authentic cricket shots to crash Kagiso Rabada for five consecutive boundaries in the second over of the innings.
Rabada (1-44) eventually got his man for 28 (off 13) and RCB's middle-order crumbled, with top-scorer Devdutt Padikkal eventually falling for 40 off 24 balls, playing on to the ever excellent Rashid Khan (2-19).
Paceman Arshad Khan picked up 3-22 while Jason Holder (2-29) held onto three brilliant catches that helped earn him the player of the match award.
