RCB has enlisted Blessing Muzarabani, the leading fast bowler from Zimbabwe, as a temporary replacement for Lungi Ngidi, who will be departing to join the South African team for their preparations before the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The switch will take place on May 26, which is also when RCB’s final league match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will be held in Lucknow.
According to an IPL statement, Muzarabani’s joining fee for RCB is INR 75 lakh.
Following his participation in Zimbabwe’s four-day Test against England at Trent Bridge from May 22 to 25, Muzarabani is set to join RCB. He will then join Zimbabwe for their upcoming game on June 3 against South Africa in Arundel, which serves as a warm-up match for South Africa before the WTC final.
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Eight South Africa players – Kagiso Rabada (Gujarat Titans), Aiden Markram (Lucknow Super Giants), Marco Jansen (Punjab Kings), Tristan Stubbs (Delhi Capitals), Wiaan Mulder (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch (Mumbai Indians) – along with Ngidi, were scheduled to depart for the United Kingdom on May 30. However, due to the recent rescheduling of IPL matches in light of the border tensions between India and Pakistan, CSA has confirmed that they will no longer be able to fulfill their commitments in the tournament.
Currently, RCB is missing Josh Hazlewood due to a shoulder injury. He has been their top wicket-taker this season. However, the rest of their foreign players have returned after the break. Unfortunately, Jacob Bethell will also be departing for the ODI series against West Indies before RCB’s second-to-last league match.
On Sunday evening, RCB secured their spot in the IPL 2025 playoffs, making them one of three qualifying teams. With 17 points on the table, they hold the No. 2 spot thanks to eight wins and one no-result out of 12 games played. They still have upcoming matches against SRH in Bengaluru and LSG.
Although Muzarabani has yet to make an IPL appearance, he has served as a net bowler at LSG previously. During this time, RCB’s current head coach Andy Flower was a member of the LSG team. The two have also worked together at Multan Sultans in the PSL and Gulf Giants in the ILT20. Muzarabani’s success on the Test cricket stage cannot be ignored, with 26 wickets in his last four Tests, including a standout performance of nine wickets in Zimbabwe’s victory over Bangladesh in the Sylhet Test this past April.
