Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will square off in the opening match of the 18th Indian Premier League (IPL) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on May 17. Rajat Patidar, the captain, is probably going to miss the match against the reigning champs, which is a blow to the home team.
During the game against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the right-handed batter hurt his finger and is presently healing. According to an Indian Express report, the 31-year-old has had enough time to recuperate from the injury despite the IPL 2025 suspension brought on by cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. However, he is still not match-fit and requires additional time to heal.
Additionally, the batter may not be included in the India A team for the two-match unofficial Test series against the England Lions, which takes place in June, right before India’s five-match Test series against England.
The IPL suspension went into effect on the same day that the top-order batter was scheduled to miss the match against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Jitesh Sharma, a batsman and wicketkeeper, was selected to captain the RCB in that game, it was later revealed.
It’s still unclear who will captain RCB, and there has been no word as to whether the batter would miss the match against KKR.
Although he was included in Australia’s squad for the World Test Championship 2023–25 Final against South Africa, Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood, who had undergone rehabilitation earlier this year to recover from a series of injuries including a side strain and a calf issue, is also doubtful for RCB. The match will start on June 11 at London’s Lord’s.
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