Though West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd has returned to India to rejoin the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the rescheduled final leg of IPL 2025, uncertainty looms over whether he will see out the rest of the tournament.
Shepherd, who arrived alongside fellow West Indians Andre Russell and Sunil Narine of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and their mentor Dwayne Bravo, is part of the West Indies ODI squad set to face England in a series that starts May 29—the same day the IPL playoffs are scheduled to begin. As of now, Cricket West Indies has not confirmed whether England-bound players will be permitted to stay in India through the end of the tournament, as Sherfane Rutherford of Gujarat Titans is also named in the ODI squad.
Shepherd had been in explosive form prior to the IPL’s suspension, notably smashing a 14-ball fifty against Chennai Super Kings, and his return adds firepower to an already well-placed RCB side sitting on 16 points from 11 matches, strong contenders for a playoff spot.
England all-rounder Liam Livingstone has also rejoined the RCB squad, while Jacob Bethell, who made his IPL debut in place of the ill Phil Salt, has returned and is expected to feature in the next two games against KKR and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Bethell, however, will fly home before RCB's final league fixture against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), as he is included in England's squads for the white-ball series against West Indies. He was not named in England’s squad for the four-day Test against Zimbabwe, starting the same day as the England-West Indies ODI series.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has issued No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for its players only until May 25, the original date for the IPL final, meaning most England players will miss the playoffs if their teams qualify.
RCB also face uncertainty over the availability of pacers Josh Hazlewood and Lungi Ngidi. Hazlewood, dealing with a shoulder niggle, was expected to miss the latter part of the tournament regardless. Ngidi, who made his RCB debut on May 3 against Chennai in Hazlewood’s absence, is part of South Africa’s World Test Championship (WTC) final squad, and like other WTC-bound players, he is expected to leave the IPL by May 25.
On a more positive note, Phil Salt—whose illness opened the door for Bethell’s debut—is now set to be available for the remainder of the IPL. He is only named in England's T20I squad for the West Indies series, which begins June 6, three days after the new IPL final date.
Caption: RCB's Romario Shepherd. (Sportzpics for IPL)