Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have received a timely injection of talent with the return of West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd and England’s Liam Livingstone for the rescheduled final phase of the IPL 2025 season. RCB sit on 16 points from 11 matches and are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot with the return of their two gun players ahead of the final matches.
Shepherd, who has only recently returned to India, flew back with Kolkata Knight Riders‘ (KKR) West Indian trio of Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and the Old Boy Dwayne Bravo, KKR’s mentor. As he is part of West Indies’ ODI squad for the upcoming series against Ireland (May 21–25) and England (May 29 onwards), it remains to be seen whether Shepherd will be available for the playoffs. The IPL playoffs start on May 29. Cricket West Indies has yet to confirm if players selected for that series can honour their IPL duties.
The hard-hitting Shepherd recently made headlines with a blistering 14-ball half-century against Chennai Super Kings earlier this month and is expected to play a key role in RCB’s final push toward the playoffs, if he is available.
In another significant update, Liam Livingstone has also linked up with the RCB squad. The England allrounder, who was left out of both England’s ODI and T20I squads for the upcoming home season, will be available for the remainder of the tournament. Fellow Englishman Jacob Bethell, who debuted in place of the ill Phil Salt, has also rejoined the team but will only be available for RCB’s next two matches — against KKR and Sunrisers Hyderabad — before flying home ahead of their final league-stage fixture against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Bethell has been left out of England’s squad for the four-day Test match against Zimbabwe starting May 29 due to his IPL commitments, but the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has granted No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for all players only until May 25 — the date originally set for the IPL final before the schedule was revised.
In terms of injuries and squad uncertainties, the returns of pacers Josh Hazlewood and Lungi Ngidi are still up in the air. Hazlewood, recovering from a shoulder niggle, was expected to miss the remainder of the tournament, while Ngidi, who made his debut for RCB on May 3, is part of South Africa’s World Test Championship (WTC) final squad. South African players involved in the WTC final are likely to leave IPL duty by May 25, ruling Ngidi out of RCB’s last league match.
On a brighter note for RCB, Phil Salt is back to full fitness and is expected to be available for the remainder of the IPL. He is part of England’s T20I squad for the West Indies series starting June 6—three days after the rescheduled IPL 2025 final.
With playoff qualification in sight, RCB will want their returning stars to immediately have an influence in the final stage of the league phase. However, the uncertainty of your players, who could be available in the final stage of the tournament due to international commitments, continues to hang over teams as they prepare for the final stages of the tournament.
Also Read: IPL 2025 to Allow Temporary Replacements for Season’s Final Phase
