Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were missing the expertise of their prized acquisition Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 opener. Bhuvneshwar was spotted in the dugout, nursing a mild injury. Ahead of the showdown with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, RCB have signaled that Bhuvneshwar might be back soon.
Since Bhuvneshwar missed his RCB debut due to injury, emerging pacer Rasikh Salam was given the chance. Although Rasikh was a bit costly, he managed to claim the valuable wicket of Sunil Narine, breaking the partnership in the 10th over of the innings. He conceded 35 runs in three overs.
“Bhuvi will be swinging back into action sooner and bolder than ever!” RCB announced in a post on March 24.
Bhuvneshwar’s record against CSK isn’t exemplary. In 20 matches, he has secured 13 wickets at an average of 39.46. However, he is very economical against the five-time IPL champions with a rate of 6.90 runs per over.
RCB have struggled when facing CSK in Chennai, with their last win there dating back to the inaugural 2008 season. Among the current lineup, only Virat Kohli was part of that victorious squad. Despite missing Bhuvneshwar at Eden Gardens, RCB’s pace unit managed to restrict the hosts to 174/8. Josh Hazlewood lived up to his price tag by taking two wickets while conceding just 22 runs from his allotted four overs. Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Yash Dayal allowed 25 runs in three overs claiming the wicket of Angkrish Raghuvanshi in the later stages of the innings. Contributions from openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli, both scoring half-centuries, enabled RCB to successfully chase the target.
Bhuvneshwar made his comeback to the Bengaluru franchise after a 15-year break, having been acquired for ₹10.75 crore at the IPL 2025 auction.
RCB IPL 2025 Squad
Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee.
RCB’s Schedule for IPL 2025
| Match | Time | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| KKR vs RCB | 7:30 pm | March 22 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| CSK vs RCB | 7:30 pm | March 28 | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| RCB vs GT | 7:30 pm | April 2 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| MI vs RCB | 7:30 pm | April 7 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| RCB vs DC | 7:30 pm | April 10 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| RR vs RCB | 3:30 pm | April 13 | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| RCB vs PBKS | 7:30 pm | April 18 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| PBKS vs RCB | 3:30 pm | April 20 | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur |
| RCB vs RR | 7:30 pm | April 24 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| DC vs RCB | 7:30 pm | April 27 | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| RCB vs CSK | 7:30 pm | May 3 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| LSG vs RCB | 7:30 pm | May 9 | BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
| RCB vs SRH | 7:30 pm | May 13 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| RCB vs KKR | 7:30 pm | May 17 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
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