Amidst uncertainty around players, Shepherd and Livingstone rejoining the squad is a huge boost for RCB. They are in second place in the points table with eight wins from 11 matches so far this season in the IPL.
Romario Shepherd has returned to India and is set to rejoin the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) squad for the rescheduled last leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. He returned with his West Indies mates Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Dwayne Bravo, who are all linked to Kolkata Knight Riders in the cash-rich league.
Interestingly, Shepherd has been picked in the West Indies ODI squad for the upcoming series against England starting from May 29, and it is still not clear if he will be available for the playoffs. Cricket West Indies (CWI) has yet to clarify its stance on its players’ availability for the rest of the IPL.
Meanwhile, England all-rounder Liam Livingstone has linked up with the RCB squad after being dropped from England’s ODI and T20I squads. He will be available for the remainder of the IPL season. Another England player Jacob Bethell is already with the RCB line-up but will play only two more games – against KKR and SRH as he has been picked in England squad for the West Indies series.
ECB had granted the No-Objection Certification (NOC) for England players only till May 25, the earlier conclusion date of IPL 2025. As a result, Bethell was not named in the Test squad for the clash against Zimbabwe starting from May 22. Among other players, Lungi Ngidi is also unlikely to be available for the playoffs as he has been picked in South Africa’s squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia.
However, according to a report in ESPNCricinfo, Phil Salt is set to be available for the remainder of the season. He has been selected only in England’s T20I squad for the series against the West Indies that will commence on June 6. Meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood is set to rejoin the RCB squad, a huge shot in the arm for the team.
RCB’s revised schedule in IPL 2025
May 17 – vs KKR at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru
May 23 – vs SRH at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru
May 27 – vs LSG at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow