With the IPL 2025 season resuming after a week due to the recent India-Pakistan conflicts, the rejigged schedule will clash with several international fixtures, forcing several players out of the remainder of the season.
Despite finding themselves in the top-2 on the standings and a Playoffs almost assured, cannot afford any cushion as they are set to lose a chunk of their first-choice overseas players. Uncertainty looms over the return of ’s pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood who is currently nursing an injury and an integral member of Australia’s World Test Championship that will begin shortly after the Playoffs that will now extend itself to the first week of June.
Bengaluru will face on Saturday in the first game post resumption and could be missing out on Hazlewood’s services. However, things could get even stiffer for RCB as they could also miss out on England’s Jacob Bethell, West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd and South Africa pacer Lungi Ngidi should they qualify for the Playoffs.
Assessing RCB’s precarious situation on his YouTube channel, former India opener Aakash Chopra that RCB will be prompted to go back to the likes of Liam Livingstone and Nuwan Thushara in the wake of high-profile absentees.
“RCB already do not have Josh Hazlewood. They will not have Jacob Bethell, Romario Shepherd and Lungi Ngidi. They will miss four players when they reach the playoffs, which means these players won’t be there for the most crucial matches. Jacob Bethell not being there is okay because Phil Salt is available,” Chopra said.
“He (Salt) too is part of the T20 team, but the T20 series is starting on June 6. So he is available till the final if RCB reach there. However, Josh Hazlewood not being there, and if Lungi Ngidi, who was considered to be his backup, and Romario Shepherd are also not there, suddenly, you will have to play Liam Livingstone in the XI and go with Nuwan Thushara, unless, of course, you sign somebody else,” he added.
Livingstone, who was recently snubbed from England’s limited-overs set-up, was also dropped by RCB after a poor streak of form, scoring 87 runs in six innings. Meanwhile, Thushara has yet to feature in any match since January.
