Eng vs Zim: Blessing Muzarabani makes big impact before joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru for IPL 2025 playoffs

Blessing Muzarabani has made an impact even before joining his Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammates in the Indian Premier League after he snapped three important wickets in the ongoing one-off Test match.

The fast bowler picked the big wickets of Joe Root, Ben Stokes, and Harry Brooke in the one-off four-day Test match between Zimbabwe and England at Trent Bridge.

England batted first at Trent Bridge and amassed a mammoth 565/6 before declaring their first innings. The home side has three centurions with the top three batters all notching up tons. 

Openers Zak Crawley (124) and Ben Duckett (140) put up an opening stand of 231 before Harry Brook (171) put on a batting masterclass to power England to a big total in 96.3 overs. 

Muzarabani was Zimbabwe's pick of the bowlers as he picked up 3/143 in 24.3 overs. 

IPL 2025 playoffs

The Bengaluru side roped in Muzarabani earlier this week as a replacement for their star South African bowler Lungi Ngidi.

The 28-year-old Zimbabwean will join RCB for ₹75 Lakh and will link up with the squad after the ongoing Test for the IPL 2025 playoffs.

RCB needed a fast bowler as Ngidi will link up with his South Africa teammates ahead of the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, which begins June 11 at the iconic Lord's cricket ground.

"Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have picked Blessing Muzarabani as a replacement for Lungisani Ngidi, who will leave to join South Africa for national duties," IPL stated in a release. "The replacement will be effective from May 26, 2025," it added further.

Muzarabani will not be eligible to be retained ahead of next year's IPL as he is only a temporary replacement.

RCB will play SRH later today, in Lucknow, in their penultimate league fixture before closing out against the Lucknow Super Giants on May 27, Tuesday.

RCB play both fixtures at the Ekana Cricket stadium in Lucknow.

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