Muzarabani signed by RCB as Lungi Ngidi’s temporary replacement for the remaining part of the IPL 2025 season.
RCB bring in Muzarabani as Ngidi’s temporary replacement.
In lieu of Lungi Ngidi, who will go to join South Africa for their World Test Championship (WTC) final preparations, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has brought in Zimbabwe fast bowling star Blessing Muzarabani. On May 26, the day before RCB’s final league-phase match against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on the road in Lucknow, the replacement will take over.
Muzarabani would be joining RCB for INR 75 lakh, according to an IPL release.
From May 22 to 25, Zimbabwe will play England in a four-day Test match at Trent Bridge. Following the match, Muzarabani will join RCB. In Arundel, Zimbabwe will play South Africa on June 3, the day before the IPL 2025 final. This match will serve as a warm-up for South Africa before the WTC final.
In any event, eight South African players were scheduled to depart for the UK on May 30: Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch (Mumbai Indians), Wiaan Mulder (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Aiden Markram (Lucknow Super Giants), Marco Jansen (Punjab Kings), Tristan Stubbs (Delhi Capitals), and Kagiso Rabada (Gujarat Titans).
Josh Hazlewood, RCB’s leading wicket-taker this season, is now sidelined due to a shoulder injury, but the rest of their international team will return after the break. Before RCB’s penultimate league match, Jacob Bethell would also be departing for the ODI series against the West Indies.
After Gujarat Titans (GT) defeated Delhi Capitals (DC) on Sunday night, RCB became one of the three clubs to earn a spot in the IPL 2025 playoffs. With 17 points, eight victories, and no results from 12 games, they are now ranked second in the standings. They still have games against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at home in Bengaluru on Friday and LSG after that.
Although Muzarabani has never participated in an IPL match, he has previously bowled net for LSG. At the time, Andy Flower, the current head coach of RCB, was in the LSG backroom. The two have also played together with the Gulf Giants in the ILT20 and the Multan Sultans in the PSL. Muzarabani has taken 26 wickets in his previous four Test matches, including nine in Zimbabwe’s victory over Bangladesh in the Sylhet Test in April, making him one of the country’s standout Test cricket players in recent months.