Romario Shepherd and Liam Livingstone Rejoin RCB Ahead of IPL Resumption
RCB Welcomes Back Key Players
West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd and England's Liam Livingstone have made their return to India, rejoining the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) squad on Wednesday, as reported by a sports news outlet.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had previously suspended the lucrative league for a week due to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Following the resolution of these issues, the IPL is scheduled to resume on May 17, with RCB facing off against the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Shepherd's Future in IPL Uncertain
Shepherd was seen arriving with fellow West Indies players Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, along with Kolkata Knight Riders' mentor Dwayne Bravo. He is also part of the West Indies ODI squad for their upcoming tour in England, which begins on May 29, potentially conflicting with the IPL 2025 playoffs.
Currently, there is no official word from Cricket West Indies regarding Shepherd's availability for the league post-May 29. Meanwhile, Livingstone has rejoined RCB, and Jacob Bethell has also returned to the team.
Bethell and Livingstone's Status
Bethell has been included in England's upcoming home white-ball series against the West Indies, while Livingstone has been omitted from both the ODI and T20I squads.
The England Cricket Board (ECB) has issued no-objection certificates (NOCs) for players participating in the IPL until May 25, the original date for the IPL 2025 final. Consequently, Bethell was not selected for England's four-day Test match against Zimbabwe starting May 29.
As of now, there is no update on RCB fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Lungi Ngidi regarding their return to the IPL. Ngidi is also part of the Test squad for the World Test Championship final against Australia in June. RCB currently holds the second position in the league with 16 points, having secured eight victories and suffered three losses.