Major setback for South Zone ahead of the Duleep Trophy 2025 final, as they had to release Narayan Jagadeesan and Devdutt Padikkal; both of the batters have been named in the India A squad for the Australia A series.

South Zone announced the replacements of Jagadeesan and Padikkal for their summit clash with Central Zone, starting September 11. Andre Siddarth and Smaran Ravichandran enter into the squad for the final match as the replacements. The unavailability of Jagadeesan and Padikkal is considered a major blow for the team, as both of them were in excellent form. Jagadeesan was the Player of the Match in the semifinal fixture against North Zone for scoring 197 and 52* in the first and second innings, respectively. The 197-run knock proved to be one of the decisive factors of the semifinal, as South Zone was able to gain a 175-run lead in the first innings.

Padikkal emerged as the second-highest run getter for the team in the knockout match with his first-innings 57-run knock, and in the second innings he remained unbeaten for 16 while batting at the number 3 position.

Read More: [WATCH] Mohammed Rizwan makes massive statement after Asia Cup 2025 omission

Though their replacements, Andre Siddarth and Smaran Ravichandran, were in fine touch during their recent domestic matches. In the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy, Siddarth claimed 612 runs at an average of 68 in 12 innings for Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, Smaran, with 516 runs at an average of 64.50 in 10 encounters, was Karnataka’s leading run-scorer. 

South Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy 2025 final:

Azharuddin (Captain & Wicketkeeper), Ricky Bhui (Vice-Captain), Smaran Ravichandran, Kale M, Shaik Rasheed, Tanmay Agarwal, Salman Nizar, Andre Siddarth, Tanay Thyagarajan, Gurjabneet Singh, Nidheesh, Kaushik V, Ankit Sharma, T Vijay, Basil NP

Stand-bys: Mohit Redkar (Goa), Snehal Kautankar (Goa), Eden Apple Tom (Kerala), Ajay Rohera (Puducherry), G. Aniketh Reddy (Hyderabad)

Hubli Tigers showcased excellent form in this tournament, winning six out of their nine matches and currently hold the third position in the points table with 10 points and have qualified for the playoffs. They won their last match by five wickets against Mysore Warriors.

On the other hand, the Shivamogga Lions are struggling, having won just one match and been eliminated from the tournament. They also won their last match by three wickets against Mysore Warriors.

SL vs HT Match Details

Date: 25th August, 2025

Time: 3:15 PM IST

Venue: Srikantadatta Narasimha Raja Wadeyar Ground, Mysore 

Live Streaming: Fancode  

SL vs HT Weather Report

Clear weather 

Also Read: Delhi T20 Premier League 2025: SDS vs WDL Prediction

Top Batters SL vs HT

• Muhammad Taha (HT) - 270 runs in this tournament 

• Devdutt Padikkal (HT) - 307 runs in this tournament 

• Tushar Singh (SL) - 170 runs this tournament 

Top Bowler SL vs HT

• Yash Punja (HT) - 18 wickets in this tournament 

• KC Cariappa (HT) - 12 wickets in this tournament 

• Shreesha Achar (HT) - 9 wickets in this tournament 

SL vs HT Recent Performance

SL vs HT Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1- If HT bats first

• First Innings score prediction- HT is expected to score 185-190 runs

• Result prediction- HT will win the match by 20-30 Runs 

Scenario 2- If SL bats first

• First Innings score prediction- SL is expected to score 150-165 runs.

• Result prediction- HT will win the match by 4 wickets 

SL vs HT Predicted Playing XI

Shivamogga Lions (SL) Playing XI 

Nihal Umesh Ullal (WK), Tushar Singh, Dhruv Prabhakar, Aniruddha Joshi.Aneeshwar Gautam, Bharat Dhuri, Hardik Raj, V Kaushik, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Anand Doddamani, and MB Darshan.

Hubli Tigers (HT) Playing XI

Mohammed Taha, Devdutt Padikkal (c), Karthikeya KP, Abhinav Manohar, Shivkumar Rakshith (wk), Manvanth Kumar L, Ritesh Bhatkal, KC Cariappa, Sanjay Kumar, Shreesha Achar, Yash Raj Punja.

SL vs HT Complete Squad

Shivamogga Lions - 

Koushik V, Hardik Raj, Avinash B, Nihal Ullal, Vidwath Kaverappa, Anirudha Joshi, Aneeshwar Gautam, Dhruv Prabhakar, Sanjay C, Anand Doddamani, Sahil Sharma, Bharath Dhuri, Deepak Devadiga, Rohit Kumar K, Tushar Singh, Darshan MB, Maribasava C Gowda, Sireesh Balgaar

Hubli Tigers -

Manvanth Kumar L, Shrijith KL, KC Cariappa, Karthikeya KP, Abhinav Manohar, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohammed Taha, Vijayaraj B, Prakhar Chaturvedi, Sankalp SS, Samarth Nagaraj, Rakshith S, Nithin S Nagaraja, Yash Raj Punja, Ritesh L Bhatkal, Shreesha S Achar, Nathan JF D Mello, Nischith Pai.

SL vs HT Today Match Prediction, Who Will Win the Match?

Hubli Tigers to win

We predict that Hubli Tigers will win this Karnataka T20 Maharaja Trophy 2025 match. The likes of Muhammad Taha, Devdutt Padikkal and Yash Punja will be key players to watch out for.

Hubli Tigers showcased excellent form in this tournament, winning five out of their eight matches and currently hold the third position in the points table with 10 points. They won their last match by eight wickets against  Gulbarga Mystics. 

On the other hand, the Mysore Warriors are struggling, having won just two matches and currently stand in fifth position in the points table with six points. They lost their last match by 52 runs against Mangaluru Dragons. 

HT vs MW Match Details

Date: 23rd August, 2025

Time: 3:15 PM IST

Venue: Srikantadatta Narasimha Raja Wadeyar Ground, Mysore 

Live Streaming: Fancode  

HT vs MW Weather Report

Clear weather 

Also Read: Delhi T20 Premier League 2025: NDS vs EDR Prediction– Match 31st, Who will win today?

Top Batters HT vs MW

• Muhammad Taha (HT) - 263 runs in this tournament 

• Devdutt Padikkal (HT) - 263 runs in this tournament 

• M Venkatesh (MW) - 211 runs this tournament 

Top Bowler HT vs MW

• Yash Punja (HT) - 16 wickets in this tournament 

• KC Cariappa (HT) - 11 wickets in this tournament 

• Shreesha Achar (HT) - 6 wickets in this tournament 

HT vs MW Recent Performance

HT vs MW Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1- If HT bats first

• First Innings score prediction- HT is expected to score 185-190 runs

• Result prediction- HT will win the match by 20-30 Runs 

Scenario 2- If MW bats first

• First Innings score prediction- MW is expected to score 150-165 runs.

• Result prediction- HT will win the match by 4 wickets 

HT vs MW Predicted Playing XI

Mysore Warriors (MW) Playing XI 

Codanda Ajit Karthik, Muralidhara Venkatesh, Harshil Dharmani, Manish Pandey (c), Yashovardhan Parantap, Srinivas Sharath (wk), Lankesh KS, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shikhar Shetty, Prasidh Krishna, Kushaal Wadhwani.

Hubli Tigers (HT) Playing XI

Mohammed Taha, Devdutt Padikkal (c), Karthikeya KP, Abhinav Manohar, Shivkumar Rakshith (wk), Manvanth Kumar L, Ritesh Bhatkal, KC Cariappa, Sanjay Kumar, Shreesha Achar, Yash Raj Punja.

HT vs MW Complete Squad

Mysore Warriors - 

Karun Nair, Karthik CA, Prasidh Krishna, Karthik SU, Manish Pandey, Gowtham K, Yashovardhan Parantap, Venkatesh M, Harshil Dharmani, Lankesh KS, Kumar LR, Goutham Mishra, Shikhar Shetty, Sumit Kumar, Dhanush Gowda, Kushaal M Wadhwani, Sharath Srinivas, Shamanth SM.

Hubli Tigers -

Manvanth Kumar L, Shrijith KL, KC Cariappa, Karthikeya KP, Abhinav Manohar, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohammed Taha, Vijayaraj B, Prakhar Chaturvedi, Sankalp SS, Samarth Nagaraj, Rakshith S, Nithin S Nagaraja, Yash Raj Punja, Ritesh L Bhatkal, Shreesha S Achar, Nathan JF D Mello, Nischith Pai.

HT vs MW Today Match Prediction, Who Will Win the Match?

Hubli Tigers to win

We predict that Hubli Tigers will win this Karnataka T20 Maharaja Trophy 2025 match. The likes of Muhammad Taha, Devdutt Padikkal and Yash Punja will be key players to watch out for.

RCB's Devdutt Padikkal that did well for Hubli Tigers in the Maharaja Trophy 2025 with a match-changing half-century against Mangalore Dragons at the Srikantadatta Narasimha Raja Wadeyar Ground in Mysore. His innings not only helped Hubli get a respectable total, but also increased his chances of retention prior to IPL 2026. Padikkal opened the batting and saw Mohammed Taha dismissed early and Vijaya Basavaraj Raj dismissed for a duck, before building the innings and forming good partnerships to steady the innings. 

Padikkal first added 46 runs with Krishnan Shrijith before forging a vital 59-run stand alongside Abhinav Manohar. After Manohar’s dismissal, Padikkal too departed in the following over, but not before scoring a brilliant 63 off 45 balls. His innings contained six fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 140.00 and was key as Hubli Tigers went past the 150-run mark. Apart from Manohar's 36, no other batter played a meaningful role as Padikkal showed his intent to anchor the innings.

See Also: KKR Player Faces Tough Time in UP T20 League After Asia Cup Call-Up

This knock marked Padikkal’s third half-century of the season, with two coming against the same opposition, Mangalore Dragons. Defending 152/7, Hubli’s bowlers ensured the target was out of reach, dismissing Mangalore for just 129 and sealing a 23-run victory. KC Cariappa and Yash Raj Punja led the way with three wickets each, while Shreesha Achar and Nathan D'Mello claimed two each. The all-round effort from the team highlighted their formidable campaign, with Padikkal's outstanding, consistent form being a standout-point of their season.

Devdutt Padikkal boosts IPL 2026 retention chances

Devdutt Padikkal has done everything to convince RCB to retain him for IPL 2026. He had a solid season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025, scoring 247 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 150.60, all the while batting at No.3. Unfortunately, due to a hamstring injury, he had to cut the season short and was unable to play the last half of the competition. Mayank Agarwal came in as a replacement and did fair, but he will always be a secondary option for RCB if they get their first choice Padikkal. Despite his injury, Padikkal provided RCB with valuable runs.

In the ongoing Maharaja Trophy 2025, Padikkal has continued his solid batting, scoring 186 runs in six matches at an average of 31 and a strike rate of 139.85. He also has three fifties and is currently the third highest run-scorer in the tournament. These great contributions to his teams batting not only help Padikkal build his own confidence, but help RCB potentially retain him for IPL 2026 auction, as he continues to produce valuable runs!

Hubli Tiger lost their first match of the tournament after back-to-back wins. They lost by 16 runs against Mangalore Dragons. They failed to chase down the target of 196 runs. Captain Devdutt Padikkal scored 60 runs off 40 balls but was not able to chase down the target.

On the other hand, Mysore Warriors also lost their last match by eight wickets against Gulbarga Mystics and currently stand in fourth position in the points table with three points.

MW vs HT Match Details

Date: August 15th, 2025

Time: 7:15 PM IST

Venue: Srikantadatta Narasimha Raja Wadeyar Ground, Mysore 

Live Streaming: Fancode  

MW vs HT Weather Report

Clear weather 

Also Read: Delhi T20 Premier League 2025: CDK vs NDS Prediction– 24th Match, Who will win today?

Top Batters MW vs HT

• Mohammed Taha (HT) - 202 runs in this tournament 

• Devdutt Padikkal (HT) - 116 runs in this tournament 

• M Venkatesh (MW) - 89 runs this tournament 

Top Bowler MW vs HT

• KC Cariappa (HT) - 4 wickets in this tournament 

• Codanda Ajit Karthik (MW) - 4 wickets in this tournament 

• Kumar L R (MW) - 3wickets in this tournament 

MW vs HT Recent Performance

MW vs HT Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1- If HT bats first

• First Innings score prediction- HT is expected to score 175-190 runs

• Result prediction- HT will win the match by 20-30 Runs 

Scenario 2- If MW bats first

• First Innings score prediction- MW is expected to score 155-160 runs.

• Result prediction- HT will win the match by 5 wickets 

MW vs HT Predicted Playing XI

Mysore Warriors (MW) Playing XI 

Karthik SU, Manish Pandey©, Harshil Dharmani, Lankesh KS, Sumit Kumar(wk), Krishnappa Gowtham, Shikhar Shetty, Codanda Ajit Karthik, Kumar L R, Yashovardhan Parantap, M Venkatesh.

Hubli Tiger (HT) Playing XI

Mohammed Taha, Devdutt Padikkal©, Karthikeya KP, Abhinav Manohar, Shivakumar Rakshith (wk), Manvanth Kumar, Rithesh Bhatkal, Nischith Pai, KC Cariappa, Nithin Nagaraja, Shreesha Achar, Prakhar Chaturvedi.

MW vs HT Complete Squad

Mysore Warriors - 

Karun Nair, Karthik CA, Prasidh Krishna, Karthik SU, Manish Pandey, Gowtham K, Yashovardhan Parantap, Venkatesh M, Harshil Dharmani, Lankesh KS, Kumar LR, Goutham Mishra, Shikhar Shetty, Sumit Kumar, Dhanush Gowda, Kushaal M Wadhwani, Sharath Srinivas, Shamanth SM.

Hubli Tiger -

Manvanth Kumar L, Shrijith KL, KC Cariappa, Karthikeya KP, Abhinav Manohar, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohammed Taha, Vijayaraj B, Prakhar Chaturvedi, Sankalp SS, Samarth Nagaraj, Rakshith S, Nithin S Nagaraja, Yash Raj Punja, Ritesh L Bhatkal, Shreesha S Achar, Nathan JF D Mello, Nischith Pai.

MW vs HT Today Match Prediction, Who Will Win the Match?

Hubli Tiger To win

We predict that Hubli Tiger will be winning this Karnataka T20 Maharaja Trophy 2025 match. The likes of Mohammed Taha, Devdutt Padikkal and KC Cariappa will be key players to watch out for.

Hubli Tigers had a strong start to the tournament, winning their opening match by 29 runs against Shivamogga Lions and currently hold the second position in the points table. They successfully defended the target of 216 runs. Mohammad Taha was the standout performer for Hubli Tigers, scoring 101 runs off 53 balls. 

On the other hand, Bengaluru Blasters lost their opening match by 39 runs against Mysore Warriors, failing to chase down the target of 181 runs. 

BB vs HT Match Details

Date: August 13th, 2025

Time: 3:15 PM IST

Venue: Srikantadatta Narasimha Raja Wadeyar Ground, Mysore 

Live Streaming: Fancode  

BB vs HT Weather Report

Clear weather 

Also Read: ECS T10 Croatia 2025: ZA vs RJM Prediction– 12th Match, Who will win today?

Top Batters BB vs HT

• Mohammad Taha (HT) - 101 runs in this tournament 

• Mayank Agarwal (BB) - 66 runs in this tournament 

• Devdutt Padikkal (HT) - 52 runs this tournament 

Top Bowler BB vs HT

• Shubhang Hegde (BB) - 3 wickets in this tournament 

• KC Cariappa (HT) - 2 wickets in this tournament 

• Nishchith Pai (HT) - 2 wickets in this tournament 

BB vs HT Recent Performance

BB vs HT Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1- If HT bats first

• First Innings score prediction- HT is expected to score 180-195 runs

• Result prediction- HT will win the match by 30-40 Runs 

Scenario 2- If BB bats first

• First Innings score prediction- BB is expected to score 155-165 runs.

• Result prediction-HT will win the match by 4 wickets 

BB vs HT Predicted Playing XI

Bengaluru Blasters (BB) Playing XI 

Mayank Agarwal(c), Bhuvan Raju, Rohan Patil, Suraj Ahuja(w), Shubhang Hegde, Naveen MG, Mohsin Khan, Rohan Naveen, Prateek Jain, Vidyadhar Patil, Punith S.

Hubli Tigers (HT) Playing XI

Mohammed Taha, Prakhar Chaturvedi, Devdutt Padikkal(c), Krishnan Shrijith(w), Karthikeya KP, Abhinav Manohar, Manvanth Kumar L, Ritesh Bhatkal, Nishchith Pai, KC Cariappa, Sankalp Shettennavar.

BB vs HT Complete Squad

Bengaluru Blasters - 

Mayank Agarwal, Shubhang Hegde, Suraj Ahuja, Naveen MG, A Rohan Patil, Chethan LR, Mohsin Khan, Vidyadhar Patil, Siddharth Akhil, Madhav Prakash Bajaj, Rohan Naveen, Kruthik Krishna, Advith M Shetty, Bhuvan Mohan Raju, Rohan M Raju, Niranjan Naik, Prateek Jain, Ishaan S.

Hubli Tigers -

Manvanth Kumar L, Shrijith KL, KC Cariappa, Karthikeya KP, Abhinav Manohar, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohammed Taha, Vijayaraj B, Prakhar Chaturvedi, Sankalp SS, Samarth Nagaraj, Rakshith S, Nithin S Nagaraja, Yash Raj Punja, Ritesh L Bhatkal, Shreesha S Achar, Nathan JF D Mello, Nischith Pai.

BB vs HT Today Match Prediction, Who Will Win the Match?

Hubli Tigers To win

We predict that Hubli Tigers will be winning this Karnataka T20 Maharaja Trophy 2025 match. The likes of Mohammad Taha, Devdutt Padikkal and KC Cariappa will be key players to watch out for.

Devdutt Padikkal is making the headlines after the player auction of this year’s Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20, which was held on Tuesday. The star batter attracted Rs 13.20 lakh in the players auction, which was the highest in this year's Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 auction.

After an intense bidding battle, Hubli Tigers successfully roped in the star India batsman. After Padikkal, Abhinav Manohar and Manish Pandey attracted the second-highest bid on the auction day. For Rs 12.20 lakh each, Manohar joined Hubli Tigers, and Pandey went to play for Mysuru Warriors. Apart from the batter, Karnataka pacer Vidwath Kaverappa claimed a bid of Rs 10.80 lakh from Shivamogga Lions. Shivamogga Lions bought India A batter Aneeshwar Gautam for Rs 8.20 lakh. Mysore Warriors have signed a total of 18 players to represent the franchise at this year’s KSCA Maharaja Trophy T20 Tournament to be held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium from Aug. 11 to Aug. 27. 

Before making their way to the auction table with a healthy purse, the team management of defending champions Mysore Warriors decided to retain some of their key players like Karun Nair (Rs. 6.80 lakh), Prasidh M. Krishna (Rs. 3 lakh), C.A. Karthik (Rs. 4.20 lakh), and S.U. Karthik (Rs. 50,000). Hubballi Tigers, Bangalore Blasters, Mangalore Dragons, Gulbarga Mystics, and Shimmoga Lions will be the competitors for the Warriors.

Read More: WATCH: How Dinesh Karthik put Jitesh Sharma out of trouble during ENG vs IND 3rd Test at Lord's

A potential intense battle in the upcoming season 

This season, the clash between the defending champion and Hubli Tigers will be interesting to watch, as both teams have star power and squad depth with a blend of experience and emerging candidates. 

Mysore Warriors owner Arjun Ranga said, "We are delighted to have selected some of the best players in the state to represent Mysore Warriors at the fourth edition of the Maharaja Trophy. We are ecstatic to witness the team’s performance and are hoping to win this year’s title. We are optimistic, as the team will definitely bring the fight to the field for truly entertaining matches."

The renowned left-handed batter of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Devdutt Padikkal, has been released by the Gulbarga Mystics ahead of the upcoming Maharaj T20 Trophy 2025. It has sparked debate in the domestic events. His absence from the squad, as per reports, despite the outstanding performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, has raised a few questions among the fans. 

The Mystics, who were captained by Padikkal, during the last season of the event, are likely to retain RCB's Vyshak Vijaykumar, Luvnith Sisodia, Smran Ravichandran, and Praveen Dubey ahead of the left-handed batter. In the last season, Vijaykumar was the leading wicket-taker of the side with 11 wickets at an average of under 26.

See Also: WATCH: Indian journalist harassed by locals while reporting ahead of Day 3 ENG vs IND 3rd Test

The reports have reckoned that the Karnataka Cricket Association (KSCA) could announce the retentions and the other key dates of the event. Sisodia was the top run-getter of the side during the previous season when he clubbed 314 runs in 11 innings. On the other hand, Ravichandran drilled 302 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 145.19 and an average of 43.62.

Gulbarga Mystics to deny RCB player Devdutt Padikkal in the Maharaj T20 League 2025

Praveen Dubey didn’t enjoy a great season with the ball, earning just four wickets in six innings at an average of nearly 40. The economy rate was also around nine. That has raised more eyebrows before an international batter getting retained. Padikkal had a tough IPL 2024 for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), where he managed only 38 runs at an average of below six.

🔔|🚨|✅

Gulbarga Mystics Retentions

Smaran Ravichandran
Praveen Dubey
Luvnith Sisodia
Vyshak Vijaykumar

Surprisingly DDP was their captain last season and he is not retained 👀

— CHIKU JI❤️💫 (@MaticKohli251) July 12, 2025

As his T20 career was getting into the sunset, the 25-year-old found the rhythm for the Mystics with 253 runs in 10 innings with an impressive strike rate of 140.55. He was the third-leading run-getter of the franchise last year, as they reached the semi-final and lost the game against the Bengaluru Blasters.

For the IPL 2025, he got back into the RCB side for a price of INR 2 crore and found a mojo at number three. The southpaw ended the season with 247 runs in 10 games at an average of 27.44 and a strike rate of 150.60, shouldering two half-centuries, as they went on to earn their maiden title of the event.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have suffered a significant setback as Devdutt Padikkal has been out of action for the rest of IPL 2025 after being injured with a hamstring strain. The left-hand batter had been instrumental in supporting RCB to a strong season, which propelled them to the second position in the points table behind only Gujarat Titans on Net Run Rate.

Making the most of time, RCB have signed up Mayank Agarwal in place of the rest of the season. The seasoned top-order batsman, who started his IPL career at RCB, has played 127 IPL matches, scoring more than 2,000 runs, with one century and 13 half-centuries. Despite going unsold in the previous auction after a lukewarm season with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2024, Agarwal has now been signed for INR 1 crore.

ALSO SEE:Watch: MS Dhoni texted Rohit Sharma, followed by video call after winning the World Cup

Mayank Returns to Where It All Started

In a heartwarming video shared by RCB on social media, Virat Kohli welcomed Agarwal back into the squad and praised his character and work ethic.

watch the video:

“Dev, you’ve played a massive role in us being here, very well done. I’ve had a lot of fun working with you! And we wish you a speedy recovery”: 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐨𝐡𝐥𝐢 🫡

Virat welcomes Mayank to the team and thanks Dev for all the good work, on @bigbasket_com presents RCB Bold… pic.twitter.com/tpXv5MJ61r

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 8, 2025

“Mayank is such a lovely guy. He gives 120% for the team. We’ll have an amazing time having him back with us,” said Kohli. “I can guarantee you this guy will do anything and everything for this team because I know RCB is very close to his heart.”

The former RCB skipper also shared his admiration for Agarwal’s perseverance, saying, “We always wanted to get this guy back here at RCB not in this way, of course but God has his own plans. Your hard work has truly paid off. We’re sure you’ll have a great impact.”

A Word of Gratitude for Devdutt Padikkal

Kohli also took a moment to acknowledge Padikkal’s contributions to RCB’s campaign so far. “Dev, you’ve played a massive role in us being here. Very well done. I’ve had a lot of fun working with you. We wish you a speedy recovery.”

RCB currently hold second place on the IPL 2025 points table with a Net Run Rate of +0.482. As the playoffs approach, all eyes will be on how Mayank Agarwal settles in and bolsters the top order.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have suffered a big blow during their IPL 2025 run as in-form batter Devdutt Padikkal has been excluded from the rest of the competition due to a right hamstring strain. The franchise, ranked second on the table behind Gujarat Titans on Net Run Rate, wasted no time replacing him with seasoned batter Mayank Agarwal.

Devdutt Padikkal has been having a good run with the bat, having transformed himself at No. 3. Following a couple of lean years, the left-hander discovered form and consistency, scoring 247 runs in 10 games at a staggering strike rate of 150.61, his highest in any IPL season. He also hit two half-centuries, being an integral part of RCB's success thus far.

His premature injury, though, has compelled the Bengaluru-based team to look for reinforcements, and in steps a familiar name in Mayank Agarwal. The 34-year-old has been picked up for INR 1 Crore and has with him an abundance of IPL experience. Having begun his IPL career with RCB, Agarwal has gone on to play for several franchises, including Punjab Kings and, most recently, Sunrisers Hyderabad.

ನಮ್ಮ ಮನೆ ಮಗ ಮಯಾಂಕ್! 🥹

After 1️⃣2️⃣ long years, 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 where he belongs. Happy #HomeComing, Mayank. 🏡

12th Man Army will be on top of the moon hearing this, and they’ll all be right behind you. 🫶 pic.twitter.com/k5RwAGINrG

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 7, 2025

ALSO SEE:From Opener to Leader: Rohit Sharma’s Test journey

Agarwal Joins RCB, Looks to Make the Most of New Opportunity

While his recent SRH stint in IPL 2024 was disappointing with just 64 runs from four matches Agarwal's overall track record tells him what he is capable of. In 127 IPL games, he has recorded 2661 runs, with a century and 13 half-centuries. His seniors' experience at the top order and acquaintance with RCB's environment can be an asset as the team would look to carry momentum into the latter stages of the tournament.

RCB will be hoping that Agarwal can fill in with ease and deliver stability and power in the order. With a playoff position within reach, the franchise will need all its depth and resilience to see through the decisive last lap of the league.

As the season of IPL 2025 heats up, everyone will now be keeping a close eye on how RCB deals with losing Padikkal and whether Agarwal will be able to capitalize on this moment to stage a powerful comeback on the big stage.