The title-winners of the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), blew away the Punjab Kings in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to show their dominance in what turned out to be a balanced season. For the entire campaign, they got the right playing eleven under the leadership of Rajat Patidar and head coach Andy Flower. 

Bengaluru finished the group stage of the two-month campaign at the top spot, thanks to nine victories in 14 encounters at a net run rate of +0.372. One of the franchise's significant achievements was winning all of their away games in the season, which showed how balanced they were in every aspect.

See Also: 5 players Sunrisers Hyderabad might release before IPL 2026 auction ft Ishan Kishan

In the last nine fixtures of the IPL 2025, Bengaluru collected seven victories with just one defeat and one abandoned clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Most of their squad looks settled, but they could need to leave a few players to fill the gaps.

Let’s take a look at the five players Royal Challengers Bengaluru might release ahead of the IPL 2026, featuring Liam Livingstone.

5. Liam Livingstone

The 32-year-old England spin all-rounder, Liam Livingstone, came into the RCB side during the last mega auction for INR 8.75 crore, as many predicted the lower order batter to smash the big shots in the death overs, but he couldn’t match the expectations and ended with 112 runs in eight innings with the bat at a strike rate of 133.33 along with one fifty.

Liam could go back to the auction and come back for Bengaluru at a lower price. After all, his experience of 7356 runs in 298 T20 innings at an average of 28.18 and a strike rate of 144.71, besides 143 wickets in 179 innings at an economy rate of 8.46, could be valuable for any side in the shortest format.

4. Rasikh Salam

The Bengaluru was keen to get the pace bowling all-rounder, Rasikh Salam Dar, for a huge price of INR 6 crore ahead of IPL 2025, but it turned out to be a horrible decision. The right-arm pacer featured in just two games for the franchise and collected one solitary wicket. In six overs across the two games, he leaked 70 runs at an economy rate of nearly 12.

With limited chances and not much impact of the pacer, Rasikh could prove to be one of the players in the list of RCB to get released ahead of the 2026 edition. With the kind of amount, it will be better to invest in some other options. Rasikh has 45 wickets in 36 T20 innings at an economy rate of 8.52.

3. Suyash Sharma

Playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2023, the mystery spinner, Suyash Sharma, grabbed the headlines 2023, having picked up 10 wickets in 11 innings at an economy rate of just over eight. But, in the last season, the right-arm spinner collected eight wickets in 14 innings of the IPL for Bengaluru at an economy rate of just under nine.

Suyash came to the team for INR 2.6 crore. He had rare great performances, including the three wickets he picked against Punjab in the first qualifier, but for the entire season, he failed to find consistency and struggled to find the right line and length. That could put him among the released players for RCB.

2. Nuwan Thusara

Bengaluru signed the Sri Lankan pacer, Nuwan Thusara, for INR 1.60 crore. The plan was to keep him intact for most parts of the death overs or as a replacement for Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood. But both went through a fine season, making it hard for the Sri Lankan star to feature in the event.

Thusara played one solitary game in the last season of the IPL and picked up 1/26 in four overs. If they don’t want an extra player in that department, then it could be smart to release Thusara and go with other players in the auction.

1. Lungi Ngidi

The South African pacer, Lungi Ngidi, could be another bowler to get released by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of the IPL 2026. The right-arm pacer, who had a successful 2018 season with Chennai thanks to 11 wickets in seven innings, grabbed four wickets in two innings at an economy rate of over 10.

Ngidi has picked up 190 T20 wickets in 145 innings at an average of 21.34 and an economy rate of 8.37. Bengaluru could even think of releasing the pacer and bringing some other options in the department, which would make their title defense even more dominating for the 2026 season. Only twice have teams been able to successfully defend their IPL title, and the RCB side could be the third in the list.

A total of 541 players are confirmed for the fourth season of SA20, but there are no Indians in the final list. The auction will be held on September 9 in Johannesburg, and the tournament will start on December 26, 2025. This year, over 800 players registered the highest ever for the league. Around 13 Indians, including Piyush Chawla and Siddharth Kaul, had signed up. Even Ravichandran Ashwin, who recently retired from the IPL, had shown interest in playing in a foreign T20 league, but his name is missing from the final pool.

Out of the 541 players, 300 are from South Africa and 241 are from other countries. The list features big names like Shakib Al Hasan from Bangladesh, who could become the first Bangladeshi to play in SA20, and England’s James Anderson. Other English stars such as Alex Hales, Moeen Ali, Adam Rossington, Jordan Cox, and Daniel Worrall are also included.

🚨 SA2025 Auction Overseas List

- 241 overseas players have registered.

Includes players like Gurbaz, Shakib, Fizz, Roy, Cox, Hales, TKC, Moeen, Anderson and Theekshana.

1/2 pic.twitter.com/5NIewJL7rq

— T20 Franchise Rosters (Men) (@t20tracker) September 1, 2025

Strong South African Line-up

Top South African players like Aiden Markram, Anrich Nortje, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, and Test World Champions Kyle Verreynne, David Bedingham, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Tony de Zorzi, and Dane Paterson will also be part of the auction.

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Auction Details

There are still 84 spots open across the six teams with a total budget of R131 million (about US$7.37 million). Out of these, 25 spots are for overseas players. Each team must have 19 players, including at least 9 South Africans, up to 7 overseas players, 2 South African players under 23, and 1 wildcard pick.

South Africa recorded their fifth successive ODI bilateral series win against Australia, after winning the second game of the three-match ODI series in Australia by 84 runs. 

Visitors South Africa were already leading the ODI series by 1-0 before the second ODI at Mackay after winning the series opener by 98 runs. While captain Temba Bavuma was rested for the second ODI, Aiden Markram led the Proteas side in the second game, where the visitors chose to bat first. After South Africa were all out for 277 runs in 49.1 overs, they bowled out the hosts for 193 runs in 37.4 overs. 

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Matthew Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs guided the team to a strong total with solid knocks

Both the South African openers, Ryan Rickelton (8) and skipper Aiden Markram (0), were dismissed in the single-digit scores. However, the next three Proteas batters controlled the innings strongly. While Tony de Zorzi scored 38 off 39 balls (five fours), he had a 67-run partnership with Matthew Breetzke for the third wicket.

Then Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs had an 89-run partnership for the fourth wicket. While Breetzke smashed 88 off 78 balls with 10 fours and two sixes, Stubbs scored 74 off 87 balls (three fours and one six) before getting out in the 44th over.

Wiaan Mulder (26) and Keshav Maharaj (22) played two crucial cameos in the innings, which helped the Proteas to set a challenging total. 

Among the Australian bowlers, Adam Zampa (3/63) picked up three wickets, while Xavier Bartlett (2/45), Nathan Ellis (2/46), and Marnus Labuschagne (2/19) bagged two wickets each. Also, the pacer Josh Hazlewood (1/57) took one wicket.

Lungi Ngidi claimed five-wicket haul

In reply, Australia got a poor start and never managed to come up to the challenging position. At the end of the first powerplay, the hosts scored 39/3 in 10 overs. Only Cameron Green and Josh Inglis produced some fightback, as they were the only batters to reach the 20-run mark in that innings. Green scored 35 off 54 balls (three fours), while Inglis scored 87 off 74 balls with 10 fours and two sixes. They had a 67-run partnership for the fourth wicket, but once their partnership was broken, the hosts couldn’t handle the late pressure. 

South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi recorded his second ODI fifer with the bowling figures of 8.4-1-42-5. Also, Nandre Burger (2/23) and Senuran Muthusamy (2/30) both picked up two wickets each. 

South Africa beat Zimbabwe in the Test series 2-0. The African team looked much stronger compared to Zimbabwe. Both teams played their first head-to-head match since October 2018.

ZIM vs SA Match Details

Date: July 14th, 2025

Time: 4:30 PM IST

Venue: Harare Sports Club, Harare 

Live Streaming: Fancode  

ZIM vs SA Weather Report

Clear weather 

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Top Batters ZIM vs SA

• Sikandar Raza (ZIM) - 2403 runs in T20I 

• Reeza Hendricks (SA) - 2271 runs in T20I 

• Rassie van der Dussen (SA) - 1257 runs T20I 

Top Bowler ZIM vs SA

• Sikandar Raza (ZIM) - 81 wickets in T20I 

• Blessing Muzarabani (ZIM) - 78 wickets in T20I

• Lungi Ngidi (SA) - 63 wickets in T20I

ZIM vs SA Recent Performance

ZIM vs SA Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1- If ZIM bats first

• First Innings score prediction- ZIM is expected to score 150-160 runs

• Result prediction- SA will win the match by 6 Wickets.

Scenario 2- If SA bats first

• First Innings score prediction- SA is expected to score 190-205 runs.

• Result prediction- SA will win the match by 40-50 Runs

ZIM vs SA Predicted Playing XI

Zimbabwe (ZIM) Playing XI 

Dion Myers, Brian Bennett, Wesley Madhevere, Ryan Burl, Sikandar Raza (c), Tony Munyonga, Wellington Masakadza, Clive Madande (wk), Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Trevor Gwandu.

South Africa (SA) Playing XI

Lhuan dre Pretorius (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen (c), Dewald Brevis, Rubin Hermann, George Linde, Corbin Boss, Senuran Muthusamy, Gerald Coetzee, Lungi Ngidi, and Nandre Burger

ZIM vs SA Today Match Prediction, Who Will Win the Match?

South Africa To win

We predict that South Africa will be winning this T20I match. The likes of Lhuan dre Pretorius, Rassie van der Dussen and Dewald Brevis will be key players to watch out for.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally ended the 17-year wait for an IPL title on Tuesday (June 3), making history at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad by beating Punjab Kings by six runs in the final of the IPL 2025. The win was a long-awaited breakthrough for the franchise, with several players coming on strong throughout the season.

But although the victory was theirs, not all members of their squad contributed meaningfully. Some players either did not convert their chances or did not even play, prompting very heavy speculation that RCB might let them go before the IPL 2026 auction, likely later this year or early next year.

1. Nuwan Thushara

Sri Lankan bowler Nuwan Thushara was retained for ₹1.5 crore in the 2025 IPL auction. He played only one match, against the Lucknow Super Giants, where he bowled tightly and took 1 wicket for 26 runs from his four-over spell. Although he performed well, Thushara was kept on the bench because of the availability of senior overseas pacers. RCB can consider releasing him to create space for more cricket-balanced bowling personnel.

2. Lungi Ngidi

Lungi Ngidi appeared in two games for RCB in IPL 2025 and took four wickets. But he leaked runs at a costly economy rate of 10.12 and was not available for the playoffs because of international commitments. Though his strike power is a plus point, his inconsistency and injury record are an area of concern. RCB might release him to accommodate more reliable overseas bowlers.

3. Blessing Muzarabani

Zimbabwean pacer Blessing Muzarabani played not a single match in IPL 2025 even after being in the squad. His function was to be a seamer on call, but he was never given the opportunity because of a settled bowling attack. With no contribution and with experience being limited for him in high-pressure leagues, the chances of his retention are bleak. RCB can release him to look for more energetic backup possibilities.

4. Rasikh Dar

J&K pacer Rasikh Dar was purchased at ₹6 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction. He featured in two games—against KKR and GT—but didn't make a mark, taking just one wicket while giving away runs at a rate of more than 11 runs per over. After sitting out the remainder of the tournament, it was evident he wasn't part of RCB's major schemes. Given his hefty price tag, release now appears a certainty.

See Also: Big Breaking! CSK list for player releasing out ahead of IPL 2026

5. Swastik Chikara

Swastik Chikara sat on the bench for the entire duration of IPL 2025. The young left-hand hitter could not find a place in RCB's potent top and middle order, which included consistent performers. Having no match minutes and minimal contribution to the team dynamics, his retention does not make sense. RCB could let him go and sign a more experienced domestic player.

6. Swapnil Singh

Swapnil Singh, the veteran left-arm spinner, did not find a game in RCB's championship-winning 2025 season. Though his experience is worth the bench, the team banked more on all-rounders and aggressive spinners throughout the season. With fresh and younger spin talent rising, Swapnil's chances of being retained seem thin. He could be released prior to the next auction.

We have entered the last league stage game in the IPL 2025, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru are playing against Lucknow Super Giants. In this fixture, RCB are playing without their foreign cricketers Tim David and Lungi Ngidi. Here are the reasons for their absence in the game. 

Once again, Jitesh Sharma has been chosen to lead the RCB team, while the regular skipper Rajat Patidar is in the list of Impact Sub. Australian cricketer Tim David and South African pacer Lungi Ngidi are not playing this match, and both these absences aren't shocking. English all-rounder Liam Livingstone replaced David, and Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Thushara is playing as a replacement for Ngidi. 

Why is Tim David not playing?

In their previous game against SunRisers Hyderabad, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru suffered a 42-run defeat, David suffered a hamstring injury. During the final over of the SRH innings, David was injured while saving a boundary. Although David later came to bat at no.8, he was dismissed for one run in five balls.

The franchise is now waiting for his fitness status, especially whether he can be available for the Playoffs or not. If he fails to improve his fitness, we may see another special temporary replacement in the team.  

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Why is Lungi Ngidi not playing?

On the other hand, Lungi Ngidi has left the franchise to join his national team. In the absence of Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood, Ngidi served for RCB in two matches, where the right-arm fast bowler picked up three and one wickets, respectively. Zimbabwean pacer Blessing Muzarabani is the replacement for Ngidi in the franchise for the remainder of the season.     

The last league stage game of the IPL 2025 is a must-win match for RCB to secure a top-two finish in the points table, who are in the third position before the match with 17 points. RCB can even finish on top of the points table. 

With the battle for the IPL 2025 heating up, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have pulled off a strategic transfer by inking Zimbabwe pace bowler Blessing Muzarabani in place of South African pacer Lungi Ngidi, who will be out of action from May 26 for national commitments. Ngidi, who had been picked at the INR 1 Crore mark at the auction, played just one game this season with impressive figures of 3 for 30 against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings.

His premature exit comes as he is set to join South Africa's team for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, which is set to commence on June 11 at Lord's. Replacing Ngidi is Blessing Muzarabani, a lanky pacer who is famous for his bounce and ability to create unplayable angles with pace. Signed for INR 75 Lakh, Muzarabani finally makes his IPL debut after having been a net bowler for Lucknow Super Giants during the 2022 season.

Internationally, the 27-year-old has established a strong resume. He has played 12 Tests, 55 ODIs, and 70 T20Is for Zimbabwe, collecting 78 wickets in the shortest form. In total T20s, he has 127 wickets in 118 matches at a strike rate of 19.3 and an economy rate of 7.24. His recent form is noteworthy. Muzarabani claimed 9 wickets in Sylhet during Zimbabwe’s Test match against Bangladesh, earning the Player of the Match award for his efforts.

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Zimbabwean speedster adds depth to RCB’s injury-hit bowling line-up

Muzarabani's signing is significant as he becomes only the fifth Zimbabwean player to play in the IPL, after Tatenda Taibu (KKR, 2008) and Sikandar Raza (PBKS, recent years). Although Ray Price and Brendan Taylor were also selected earlier by the Mumbai Indians (2011) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (2014), respectively, neither got much game time in the league.

With Josh Hazlewood in Australia right now with a shoulder problem and not likely to be back till later in the playoffs, RCB have had to roll their sleeves up. Muzarabani, whose bowling profile is similar to that of both Ngidi and Hazlewood, provides timely support to the franchise's overseas pace arsenal, particularly as games shift to possibly slower, high-pressure settings.

RCB, under the captaincy of Rajat Patidar in place of their usual skipper, are preparing to face Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 23 and Lucknow Super Giants on May 27 in their remaining league encounters. Having already qualified for the playoffs, the Bengaluru franchise will be fighting hard for a top-two position, which provides a second opportunity to make it to the final.

In a tense IPL 2025 clash between RCB and CSK, controversy erupted when Dewald Brevis was denied a DRS review after being adjudged LBW by the on-field umpire on the very first ball he faced from Lungi Ngidi. Although Brevis completed a run and signaled for a review afterward, the umpire rejected the appeal, citing a delay in the request. Ravindra Jadeja attempted to intervene on behalf of CSK, but the decision was upheld, leaving fans and commentators puzzled, especially after seeing replays that clearly showed the ball miss the stumps.

The problem arose through the strict 15 seconds allowed for the Decision Review to be signalled, which states that players must signal for a review within 15 seconds of the on-field decision, and Brevis was running and subsequently only put his appeal in after time was out. It was still within the CSK camp's rights to protest however, the umpires stood firm. There is no doubt that CSK had an opportunity to overturn what was clearly an incorrect decision, had Brevis had time to be able to signal for a review.

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The commentators discussed the events for a long enough time to allow them to highlight that Ngidi's delivery would most likely have been overturned if reviewed. The decision disappointed not only the CSK camp but also caused further discussions on social media as fans highlighted areas where players had obviously been given more time to signal of a review. The loser in this particular situation was CSK and even though the policy was not abused by RCB, it gradually created skepticism among CSK fans who thought that a club had received a heavy-handed instance on being dyslexic with the 'time' requirement from the DRS rule. Overall, the moment was a huge talking point from the match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Dewald Brevis was clearly not out
There was no clock timer for DRS

RCB fixers>>>>>>>>>>>

And they cry about MI fixing😭🤣#CSKvsRCB pic.twitter.com/swrt7UYaRc

— Bruce Wayne (@_Bruce__007) May 3, 2025

Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings match Scorecard and Highlight

In a thrilling IPL 2025 match, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a close 2-run victory over the Chennai Super Kings. RCB scored an impressive 213/5 in their innings, with Virat Kohli (62 off 33) and Jacob Bethell (55 off 33) leading the charge. Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma made valuable contributions, while Tim David and Romario Shepherd finished things off. Matheesha Pathirana was the star performer for CSK, taking 3/36, while a wicket Sam Curran and Noor Ahmad took each in a high-scoring match at the Chinnaswamy.

Chennai Super Kings went close to themselves, putting up 211/5, helped by a brilliant innings where Ayush Mhatre scored 94 runs off 48 balls, and a fiery unbeaten 77 runs from Ravindra Jadeja. Lungi Ngidi was RCB's standout bowler, taking the crucial wickets of Mhatre and Sam Curran, among others, taking 3 wickets overall, while Krunal Pandya and Yash Dayal contributed a wicket each. With 13 needed in the final over, CSK's late push wasn’t enough, handing Bengaluru a crucial win in the tournament.

The 28-year-old South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi has been ruled out of the home summer due to a groin injury. 

After the conclusion of the ongoing home T20I series against India, South Africa will host Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series. Then Pakistan will tour South Africa for a three-match T20I series, a three-match ODI series, and a two-match Test series. 

Both the home Test series will be a part of the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship. Both Sri Lanka and South Africa are fighting to grab the spots for the Final of the ongoing WTC edition, which Lord’s will host in June 2025. The home Test series against Sri Lanka will begin on November 27, and South Africa will host the last Test against Pakistan from January 3. 

Lungi Ngidi can return to the game in January

According to the Cricket South Africa (CSA) press release, Lungi Ngidi recently had a medical assessment where the scans revealed bilateral proximal adductor tendinopathy. He is expected to return to the game in January 2025. So, he is likely to be fit for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which has been scheduled in February in Pakistan. 

Ngidi is one of the crucial names in the South African pace bowling line-up. Since his international cricket debut in January 2017, Ngidi has played 19 Tests, 62 ODIs, and 43 T20Is, where the right-arm pacer has taken 55, 96, and 63 wickets, respectively. 

During the first two editions of the ICC World Test Championship, Ngidi took 17 wickets in six games (2019-2021) and 19 wickets in seven Tests (2021-2023). In the ongoing WTC, Ngidi has played only two Tests and picked up four wickets. 

Temba Bavuma is developing positively

In the meantime, the Proteas Test captain Temba Bavuma is positively developing his fitness. He missed out on the Test series against the hosts Bangladesh due to a left elbow injury. South Africa won the two-match Test series in the Bangladesh tour by 2-0 and added crucial points in the 2023-2025 ICC WTC points table.

Bavuma will undergo a fitness test on Monday (November 18), where the CSA will determine his chance to present in the upcoming home Test series against Sri Lanka. 

On Monday, July 8th, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced a 16-man squad for the upcoming two-Test series against the West Indies starting on August 7. Experienced batter Temba Bavuma will lead the South African cricket team.

South Africa’s red-ball coach, Shukri Conrad announced the squad for the Tests starting on August 7 in Trinidad. Bavuma will lead the team after missing a game against India earlier this year. Most of the main players, who skipped the New Zealand series due to SA20 commitments are back. Three players from the second string team that played against New Zealand are also retained.

David Bedingham, who is in great form in the County Championship keeps his spot. Pacers Dane Paterson and off-spinner Dane Piedt also stay in the team. Matthew Breetzke, who scored 322 runs at an average of 46 in the domestic competition, gets his first Test call up and may replace Dean Elgar as a backup batter. Tristan Stubbs also stays in the red-ball team.

Marco Jansen is rested to manage his workload, and with Anrich Nortje focusing on T20Is, Dane Paterson is retained as an extra fast bowler alongside Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger, and Gerald Coetzee.

“We have one new face, Matthew Breetzke, selected for his excellent performance last season. Resting Marco Jansen is to ensure his physical and mental well-being,” said Conrad in X.

The rest of the squad remains largely the same, with Ryan Rickelton returning as the second wicketkeeper, while Keegan Petersen is left out.

South Africa squad for West Indies Tests

Temba Bavuma, David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne