Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) took on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a crucial IPL 2025 match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday. With playoff qualification in sight, RCB went into the game with immense momentum. Fans were taken aback by the non-inclusion of top overseas players Josh Hazlewood and Phil Salt in the playing XI.
Hazlewood Rested Due to Shoulder Niggle
Josh Hazlewood, RCB‘s best bowler this year with 18 wickets in 10 games, was a glaring absentee. Second in the Purple Cap race now, Hazlewood has been a rock of RCB’s bowling attack.
His absence was clarified during the commentary of the broadcast, where Harsha Bhogle confirmed that Hazlewood is carrying a minor shoulder niggle. As a precautionary measure, the management chose to rest him.
South African seamer Lungi Ngidi, with his pace and control, was the replacement for Hazlewood and was awarded his debut cap for RCB.
Phil Salt Misses Second Game in a Row Due to Illness
Phil Salt, another crucial link in RCB’s batting, missed his second game in a row. Skipper Rajat Patidar had previously announced that Salt was unavailable in the last match against Delhi Capitals because of illness.
Though there was no official update prior to the CSK match, it is possible that Salt has not yet recovered. Therefore, English young gun Jacob Bethell kept his position in the team and started the innings with Virat Kohli.
RCB Playing XI Against CSK: Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lungi Ngidi, Yash Dayal.
Impact Substitutes: Suyash Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Swapnil Singh.