RCB Calls in Muzarabani After Ngidi's Exit Shakes Up Playoff Plans
Just days before the IPL playoffs, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have had to hit the reset button on their fast bowling attack. Lungi Ngidi, signed for a budget-friendly INR 1 crore, won’t be donning the red and gold any longer this season. He's off to join South Africa’s camp for the massive World Test Championship final against Australia, leaving RCB fans and the team scrambling for a quality replacement.
Into the mix steps Blessing Muzarabani, Zimbabwe’s imposing fast bowler. Standing tall at 6'8", he’s not exactly easy to miss—on or off the field. Muzarabani has put pen to paper for INR 75 lakh, and for RCB, it’s more than just a quick fix. His ability to crank up pace and generate steepling bounce gives RCB a completely different look as they enter the high-stakes knockout stage.
Blessing Muzarabani: The New X-Factor in RCB's Pace Attack?
Muzarabani isn’t just filling a spot. He’s bringing in a resume seasoned by international assignments and a wild range of T20 leagues. With 12 Tests, 55 ODIs, and 70 T20Is under his belt for Zimbabwe, he knows his way around high-pressure games. Those numbers aren’t just for show—51 wickets in Tests, 69 in ODIs, and a solid 78 wickets in T20Is highlight his knack for making things happen.
If you dig into his T20 record, the stats pop: 118 matches and 127 wickets at an economy rate of 7.24. He’s been around the block, bowling in everything from ILT20 to the Pakistan Super League, the Caribbean Premier League, and even the English T20 Blast. So, RCB aren't rolling the dice on an unproven name—they’re getting a guy who’s handled the chaos of T20 leagues worldwide.
His most recent headline came in whites, though. Facing Bangladesh in a Test series, Muzarabani ripped through their lineup to collect nine wickets in a single match, capped by a six-wicket burst in the second innings. That kind of form doesn't go unnoticed when teams are sweating playoff qualification.
The question now: Will Muzarabani be thrown straight into the fire for RCB’s final league clash with the Lucknow Super Giants on May 27? There’s a real shot he could debut and give fans a first look at his raw pace on Indian wickets—a surface where bounce can be a real weapon late in the IPL.
Fun bit—this isn’t Muzarabani’s first brush with the IPL. He was around the scene in 2022, bowling in the Lucknow nets. But this is different. Now, he’s part of the show, not just behind the curtains, with a chance to make headlines at just the right time for a side chasing their elusive IPL title.
