Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo-Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE’S premier fast bowler, Blessing Muzarabani, has described his move to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a “blessing.”
The lanky Zimbabwean seamer joins the Andy Flower-mentored team as a temporary replacement for Lungi Ngidi, who returned to South Africa at the end of the week ahead of the World Test Championship final against Australia. The replacement got effective on Monday. An IPL statement said that Muzarabani would be joining RCB for INR 75 lakh.
Muzarabani arrived in India on Monday ahead of the team’s final group stage match against Lucknow Super Giants tomorrow and the play-offs which get underway on Thursday.
“I am blessed to be here, I can’t wait to play bold,” said Muzarabani upon arrival.
Muzarabani has never played an IPL game but has been a net bowler at LSG in the past.
RCB’s current head coach, Andy Flower, was in the LSG backroom at the time. The two have also been together at Multan Sultans in the PSL and at Gulf Giants in the ILT20. Muzarabani has been one of Zimbabwe’s star performers in Test cricket in recent months, with 29 wickets in his last five Tests, including a nine-wicket match haul in Zimbabwe’s win over Bangladesh in the Sylhet Test in April. He took three wickets in the historic one-off four-day Test match between the Chevrons and England, which concluded on Saturday with the Three Lions winning by an innings and 45 runs at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.
RCB became one of the first three teams to qualify for the IPL 2025 play-offs. They are currently at number three on the log table with 17 points — eight wins, four defeats and a no-result from 13 games.
A win for RCB against Lucknow Super Giants will see them finish in the top two on the standings.
