The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 will get underway on May 17, but it's not plain sailing for all franchises. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who are second on the points table, have been hit hard by the release of England's ODI and T20I squads for the West Indies tour. The bilateral series is in direct conflict with the last stage of the IPL season, including playoffs.

RCB will lose two of their most important overseas players, Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone, to international duty. Both are members of England's white-ball teams, and their loss is at a time when RCB is seeking to build momentum into the knockout stages. The team has only three games left before the playoffs, so every player at their disposal is important to their cause.

Phil Salt has been an asset at the top of the order, offering fast starts and assisting in setting the tone in the powerplay. Liam Livingstone, whose explosive middle-order batting and useful spin bowling have been a major asset, is another player who has now gone. Their loss now compels RCB to think about reserve options and reassess their game plan under pressure.

England Squad for West Indies Tour Raises IPL Alarm

ODI Squad: Brook (C), Root, Archer, Atkinson, Banton, Bethell, Buttler, Carse, Duckett, Hartley, Jacks, Mahmood, Potts, Overton, Rashid, and Smith.
T20I Squad: Brook (C), Rehan, Banton, Bethell, Buttler, Carse, Dawson, Duckett, Jacks, Mahmood, Potts, Overton, Rashid, Salt, and Luke Wood.

England Unveil their White-Ball Squad for West Indies Series in Summer

The squad is set to face the West Indies in both ODIs and T20Is, with the series set to start on May 29. pic.twitter.com/e9kiPM24ID

— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) May 13, 2025

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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has indicated clearly that national commitments are more important than IPL commitments. With other franchises losing England players as well, the balance of the tournament could be significantly altered. For RCB, this is a test of bench strength and flexibility. Losing Salt and Livingstone at this point could either throw their campaign off track or result in a fierce comeback with new domestic talent emerging.