Former India player Aakash Chopra believes that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will suffer greatly in the remainder of the IPL 2025, particularly in the playoffs, due to the absence of several of their key players. He pointed out that the Bengaluru-based team may need to start Liam Livingstone, who isn’t playing up to par, in the starting lineup.
When the IPL 2025 season resumes on Saturday, May 17, RCB will host the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Bengaluru. Jacob Bethell, Romario Shepherd, and Lungi Ngidi may not be available to the team for the playoffs, if they get that far, even though they will allegedly lack Josh Hazlewood’s services in that game.
The former India opener made the point that unless they recruit replacements for their unavailable overseas talents, RCB may have to add Livingstone and Nuwan Thushara to their playing combination in the pivotal stage of the 2025 Indian Premier League in a video posted on his YouTube channel, “Aakash Chopra.”
“RCB already do not have Josh Hazlewood. They will not have Jacob Bethell, Romario Shepherd and Lungi Ngidi. They will miss four players when they reach the playoffs, which means these players won’t be there for the most crucial matches. Jacob Bethell not being there is okay because Phil Salt is available.”
Aakash Chopra
“He (Salt) too is part of the T20 team, but the T20 series is starting on June 6. So he is available till the final if RCB reach there. However, Josh Hazlewood not being there, and if Lungi Ngidi, who was considered to be his backup, and Romario Shepherd are also not there, suddenly, you will have to play Liam Livingstone in the XI and go with Nuwan Thushara, unless, of course, you sign somebody else.”
Aakash Chopra
Liam Livingstone has scored 87 runs in six innings during the 2025 Indian Premier League at an average of 17.40. This season, Nuwan Thushara has not yet participated in an RCB match.
Aakash Chopra: Marco Jansen’s Absence a Big Blow for PBKS in IPL 2025
Aakash Chopra turned his thoughts to the Punjab Kings (PBKS), predicting that the team would suffer a severe blow if Marco Jansen were to miss any games.
“Punjab don’t know about Josh Inglis. He will probably not come. After that, Marco Jansen will go, and Marco Jansen will be a massive dent in my opinion. They have Azmatullah Omarzai and Xavier Bartlett, again an Australian, so I don’t know what he would do.”
Aakash Chopra
The cricket player-turned-commentator noted that Josh Inglis and Marcus Stoinis’ possible absence might make the Shreyas Iyer-led team’s issues worse, but he also pointed out that Xavier Bartlett and Azmatullah Omarzai aren’t the best candidates to replace Jansen.
“Xavier Bartlett and Azmatullah Omarzai are okay, but Marco Jansen was important. If both Josh Inglis and Marcus Stoinis don’t come, there will be huge problems. So they too will have problems.”
Aakash Chopra
Marco Jansen has taken 11 wickets at an economy of 8.79 in 11 innings in IPL 2025. Although Josh Inglis has amassed 92 runs from the six innings at the SR of 139.39, Marcus Stoinis has recorded 82 runs in his seven flicks at the SR of 167.34.
