Romario Shepherd, Liam Livingstone rejoin RCB squad ahead of remainder of IPL 2025

ANI May 15, 2025 335 views

Romario Shepherd and Liam Livingstone have rejoined RCB ahead of IPL's resumption on May 17. Shepherd's participation remains uncertain due to West Indies' upcoming England tour. Livingstone returns despite being dropped from England's white-ball squads. RCB currently sits second in the standings with 16 points from 11 matches.

"Shepherd is part of West Indies' ODI squad for England tour, raising questions about IPL playoff availability" - ESPNcricinfo
Romario Shepherd, Liam Livingstone rejoin RCB squad ahead of remainder of IPL 2025
New Delhi May 15: West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd and England's Liam Livingstone have returned to India and rejoined the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) squad earlier on Wednesday, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Key Points

1

IPL resumes May 17 after week-long suspension

2

Shepherd faces schedule clash with West Indies tour

3

Livingstone returns despite England snub

4

RCB placed second with 8 wins

On May 8,the BCCI suspended the cash-rich league for a week in the wake of the cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. After the cessation of hostilities, the IPL is set to resume on May 17 with Royal Challengers Bengaluru squaring off against the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Shepherd was accompanied by his national duo, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Dwayne Bravo. Shepherd is also the part of West Indies ODI squad for their upcoming tour in England, which will be starting from May 29, and the schedule of the series will clash with Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 playoffs.

As of now their is no clarification from the Cricket West Indies about Shepherd's participation in the league after May 29. England's Liam Livingstone has also linked up with RCB while Jacob Bethell has already rejoined the team.

Bethell has also been named for England's upcoming home white ball series against the Caribbean side,where as Livingstone has been dropped from both the ODI and T20I sides.

The England Cricket Board (ECB) had granted no-objection certificates (NOCs) to all their players participating in IPL till May 25, the original date of the IPL 2025 final. As a result, Bethell was not named in England's squad for the four-day Test match against Zimbabwe that starts May 29, according to ESPNcricinfo.

For now their is no clarity of RCB fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Lungi Ngidi, to rejoin in IPL. Ngidi is also featured in the test squad of World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia in June. RCB is currently placed on second with 16 points, with eight wins and three defeat.

Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Finally some good news after all the tension at the border! Cricket unites us all. Shepherd and Livingstone's return is a big boost for RCB's playoff chances. Hope they can help us lift that elusive trophy this year! #PlayBold 💪
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Priya M.
I'm glad the IPL is resuming but BCCI should have handled the schedule better. Suspending matches affects players' rhythm and fans' excitement. Also worried about Shepherd leaving during playoffs - RCB always has such bad luck with availability issues!
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Arjun S.
Livingstone being dropped by England is their loss, our gain! He can now focus completely on RCB without international distractions. His six-hitting ability is exactly what we need in Chinnaswamy's small boundaries. Ee sala cup namde! 🏆
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Sanjana T.
The real concern is Hazlewood and Ngidi's absence. Our bowling looks weak without them. Why can't BCCI coordinate better with other boards before the season starts? Indian fans deserve to see full-strength teams throughout the tournament.
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Vikram J.
As much as I love IPL, I'm happy BCCI prioritized national security during the border tensions. Cricket is important but not more than our soldiers' safety. Now that things are better, let's enjoy the remaining matches! RCB for the win! 🇮🇳

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