IPL 2025: Playoff-bound RCB replace Jacob Bethell with Tim Seifert

In lieu of England’s Jacob Bethell, who is expected to depart the IPL 2025 before the playoffs stage to join the national team for the forthcoming white-ball series against the West Indies, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has signed New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert. On May 24, the batting all-rounder will leave India, one day after RCB’s league-stage matchup with Sunrisers Hyderabad in Lucknow.

For England’s home series against the West Indies, Jacob Bethell has been included in the ODI and T20I squads.

He will fly back to the UK to get ready for the first ODI at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on May 29 after making his final appearance for RCB on May 23. Bethell’s departure will increase the number of players that RCB will be missing throughout the playoffs. Notably, Phil Salt, Bethell’s England colleague and a member of the T20I squad for the same series, will be available until the June 3 final—but only if RCB advances that far.

Having played for the Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders in the past, Seifert has only participated in three games over the course of two seasons, scoring 26 runs. In addition to playing in more than 262 T20 matches worldwide, the Kiwi batsman has played 66 T20Is and scored 1,540 runs at a strike rate of 142.85. Seifert is anticipated to play in the middle order for RCB if needed, and he was signed for INR 2 crore.

Lungisani Ngidi, a pacer for South Africa, will also miss the playoffs because he has joined the team to prepare for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, which starts at the Lord’s on June 11. Blessing Muzarabani of Zimbabwe was selected by the team to succeed Ngidi, with effect from May 26. Josh Hazlewood, the star pacer for the RCB, has also been selected for Australia’s WTC Final team but has not yet reached India. His unavailability has not yet been formally notified by the side.