PSL Star Player Join RCB as a Replacement for IPL 2025 Playoffs

Veteran Kiwi wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Seifert has replaced Jacob Bethell in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru roster for IPL 2025, as the latter is due to leave to play for England’s national side, which will face the West Indies in three one-day internationals beginning May 29.

The change will take effect on Saturday, May 24, as Bethell will depart following Bengaluru’s encounter against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 23.

Tim Seifert Performance in PSL

Notably, Seifert now plays for the Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League, and his arrival in India will be determined on how well his team performs.

Karachi is poised to play the Pakistan Super League Eliminator against the Lahore Qalandars on Thursday night, with the final scheduled for Sunday, May 25 in Lahore.

Seifert, who opened alongside David Warner in Karachi, has scored 226 runs in nine innings with a strike rate of 145.8.

Seifert Performance in IPL

Seifert has only participated in three Indian Premier League games and last played for the Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders three years ago. He has amassed 1540 runs in 66 Twenty20 matches for the Blackcaps. He will pay Rs 2 crores to join Bengaluru.

On Friday, Bethell’s final game with the RCB will be against Sunrisers Hyderabad, who were shifted from Bengaluru to Lucknow because of terrible weather in Bengaluru. On May 27, they will play their last league game against the Lucknow Super Giants.

In his first Indian Premier League season, Bethell has so far appeared in two games for Bengaluru.

Bethell hit a 33-ball 55 in his previous innings against the Chennai Super Kings on Saturday, May 3, after replacing an ailing countryman Phil Salt in the lineup.

In addition to Bethell, Bengaluru is unsure about Josh Hazlewood’s availability since he is now in Brisbane at Cricket Australia’s High-Performance Centre getting ready for the WTC Final in June.

Mo Bobat, the director of Bengaluru, stated last Friday that they had communicated with Cricket Australia regarding Hazlewood, but they were taking a wait-and-watch stance until he heals from a shoulder ailment he sustained prior to RCB’s match against Chennai.

The other teams that qualified for the playoffs were the Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Titans, and Punjab Kings.

Jos Buttler, who plays for Gujarat as well, will not be participating in the playoffs because of England’s home series against the Windies.