Ravi Shastri shocked by RCB dropping Bhuvneshwar after Rahane, Narine shine

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Photo: Instagram/@imbhuvi

In the opening match of IPL 2025, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) faced Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. RCB made a surprising decision by not including star bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar in their playing XI, even though he had been bought for ₹10.75 crore in the IPL mega auction. This left former India coach Ravi Shastri shocked.

RCB captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and decided to bowl first. The team started well with the new ball, restricting KKR to just 9/1 in the first three overs. Despite this good start, RCB’s bowling attack lacked depth as they chose only four specialist bowlers. In addition, they picked Krunal Pandya and Liam Livingstone as all-rounders, leaving out Bhuvneshwar.

This decision surprised many, including Ravi Shastri, who questioned why RCB didn’t select Bhuvneshwar Kumar, one of the most experienced bowlers in IPL history. Bhuvneshwar is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in IPL and has played 176 matches, taking 181 wickets. He is known for his skill and experience, especially in the powerplay overs.

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The absence of Bhuvneshwar was immediately felt. Even though RCB’s bowling attack started well, KKR managed to hit back in the second half of the powerplay. Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal kept KKR's top order under control, with Hazlewood dismissing Quinton de Kock early. KKR’s opening batsman Sunil Narine also struggled to score runs.

However, the momentum shifted when RCB captain Rajat Patidar brought in Rasikh Salam Dar in the fourth over. KKR's captain, Ajinkya Rahane, took full advantage of Dar’s bowling, hitting him for two sixes and a four. This attack caused RCB to lose control of the match, with KKR finishing the powerplay at 60/1, scoring 51 runs in the last three overs.

Shastri, while commentating, said, “It’s hard to understand why Bhuvneshwar Kumar is not playing. He’s very experienced and should have been there.” His comments showed how surprised everyone was by the decision.

There was no official reason given by RCB for leaving Bhuvneshwar out. As for his fitness, he looked in good form during the team’s practice session before the match.

This match was also special because it was the first time since 2008 that KKR faced RCB in the opening match of the IPL season. Rajat Patidar took over as RCB’s captain, replacing Faf du Plessis, while Ajinkya Rahane led KKR in place of Shreyas Iyer, who led KKR to their third IPL title last year.

In conclusion, while RCB started the match well with the new ball, their decision to leave out Bhuvneshwar Kumar raised many eyebrows. As the match continued, the absence of the experienced bowler was clearly felt.

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