Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 15 : Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper Rajat Patidar and wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma joined the franchise's camp ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) resumption from May 17 with the match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Rajat's arrival comes as a sigh of relief for the RCB fans, amidst reports he was set to miss the remainder of the IPL 2025 due to a finger injury, which he sustained during the home fixture against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on May 3. As per ESPNCricinfo, he was recommended to use a splint to safeguard the finger and avoid training for a minimum of 10 days before evaluating the injury. IPL 2025 was temporarily suspended due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.
RCB's official X handle posted a picture of Rajat and Jitesh's arrival, captioned, "Captain Rajat and his partner-in-crime Jitesh are back at base, ready to light up the remainder of #IPL2025 with the same swag, same intent, and more fire! Let's wish them the best in the comments, 12th Man Army!."
https://x.com/RCBTweets/status/1922859636333457764
During the remaining season, Patidar will be aiming to overcome a lean run of form since the last three to four games. In 11 games and 10 innings, he has scored 239 runs at an average of 23.90, with a strike rate of 140.58. He has scored two half-centuries, with the best score of 64.
In 11 matches, on the other hand, Jitesh has made 128 runs at an average of 25.60, with a strike rate of 142.22 and best score of 40*.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday announced the resumption of the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and revealed the schedule for the remaining 17 fixtures.
The BCCI released a statement on Monday night to confirm that "after extensive consultations with the government, security agencies, and all the key stakeholders, the India board decided to proceed with the remainder of the season."Last Friday, the BCCI suspended the cash-rich league for a week in the wake of the cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.
After the cessation of hostilities, the IPL is set to resume on May 17 with Royal Challengers Bengaluru squaring off against the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
A total of 17 matches will be played across six venues, starting May 17, and culminating in the final on June 3. The revised schedule includes two double-headers, which will be played on two Sundays.
The six venues that have been selected are Bengaluru, Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad. Kolkata's Eden Gardens, which was set to host the final, was missing from the list of venues.
According to the new schedule, the Qualified 1 will be held on May 29. The Eliminator and Qualifier 2 will be played on May 30 and June 1, respectively. The 18th edition of the IPL will conclude on June 3. The venues for the playoffs are yet to be decided.