Eng vs Zim: Blessing Muzarabani makes big impact before joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru for IPL 2025 playoffs
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.
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.
Stay updated on all the action from the IPL 2025. Check the IPL 2025 Schedule, track the latest IPL 2025 Points Table, and follow the top performers with the Orange Cap and Purple Cap.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
36 minutes ago
- First Post
Day of ups and downs: Team India's dramatic comeback keeps England in check at The Oval
England's early dominance fizzled out, as India managed to grab a certain edge with a slender lead by day's end, setting the stage for a thrilling Day 3 at The Oval. read more England's Josh Tongue dives on the ground during the second day of the fifth cricket test match between England and India at The Oval. AP A contrasting day for both sides at The Oval. India slaughtered in the morning session, fought back passionately for the rest of the day to nudge themselves ahead in this tightly wound contest. England meanwhile watched their dream start to day two slowly curdle as the afternoon wore on. For now this game remains firmly up in the air, , with 8 wickets remaining – and facing an England side minus their most experienced fast bowler – must be considered favourites and, while it is probably unlikely, have a reasonable chance of wrapping up a win inside three days. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD England's dominant display in the morning It is a long way from where they found themselves at lunch. Blown apart by an efficient English bowling performance that was sorely missing on Day One, they added only 20 to their overnight score, with the last four wickets contributing just six runs. Gus Atkinson continued to show how much England have quietly missed him this series, his fourth five-wicket haul – curiously all picked up in London – just reward for at times single-handedly bowling England into a strong position. The rest of the morning would provide healthy evidence for those trying to prove the existence of momentum in sport, England's swashbuckling little and large opening duo putting India to the sword with speedy efficiency. A stunning morning for England 🏴 Four quick wickets and a flurry of runs. Get up-to-date in the lunch break with our live catch-up highlights 👇 — England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 1, 2025 Sensing the conditions tipped everything firmly in India's favour, they didn't back down, they doubled down, turning into the skid and steering their side thrillingly into a dream start. By lunch, the hosts were 109/1 from just 16 overs, almost halfway to India's total and with handsome batting depth to come. It was a position of superiority they would never come close to returning to. Siraj delivers a stellar performance No matter your allegiance it is hard not to warm to Mohammad Siraj, and over the course of the afternoon he provided a wholehearted reminder of just what makes him so endearing. Shorn of Jasprit Bumrah, you would expect India's bowling attack to be somewhat diminished. Not for the first time though, Siraj stepped up to produce an excellent performance and render the loss almost imperceptible. Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook all fell to Siraj, almost as good a quartet from this England side as you could hope for, their home side crashing from 129/2 to 247 all out. Siraj would finish with 4/86, and move to the top of the wicket-taking charts with 18 across all five Tests. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Dropped catches haunt England If a relentlessly efficient Indian bowling performance offered England some mitigation for their collapse with the bat, fewer excuses could be made for their performance in the field the second time around. It is surely what could have been from that they will rue the most tonight. On the surface, things are not too dire; India's lead still not wildly out of control, two top-order wickets claimed by the close. Indeed after their scatter-gun efforts with the ball first time around, England were much improved – this time though it was their catching that helped tip the contest back in India's favour. One drop at least was not too costly, Sai Sudharsan put down on 7 would be removed for 11 before the close, the other though would not only have swung things a little more back to their advantage, but threatens to be a crucial nail in their coffin. Gus Atkinson traps Sai Sudharsan LBW! ☝️ 🇮🇳 7️⃣0️⃣-2️⃣ — England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 1, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Yashasvi Jaiswal has the explosive capability to take the game away from a team in the blink of an eye – in short, exactly the sort of player you don't want to reprieve in a low-scoring shootout. England it seems, did not get the memo, twice Jaiswal was dropped, on 20 by Brook and 40 by sub fielder Liam Dawson – his introduction to the series has not exactly gone as planned. They were mistakes that it is not hyperbolic to say could cost England this game, an encapsulation of a performance that gradually shrivelled as the day wore on.
India.com
36 minutes ago
- India.com
5th Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal Slams Fifty, Takes India To 75-2 At Stumps On Day 2
On a day where 15 wickets fell, India managed to keep themselves just ahead of England by taking a 52-run lead at stumps on Day Two of the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval on Friday. Yashasvi Jaiswal's undefeated 51 ensured India reached 75/2 in 18 overs, before bad light forced stumps to be called 15 minutes earlier than expected on a day of see-saw cricketing action. In the morning, England ended India's first innings at 224, before being bowled out for 247 for a minuscule 23-run lead. When England put on an entertaining 92-run opening stand off only 12.4 overs and reached 109/1 at lunch, it felt that they would pile on a huge lead. But from the post-lunch session onwards, Mohammed Siraj got crucial scalps through his nip-backers and yorkers to pick 4-86 and became the current leading wicket-taker of the ongoing series. Prasidh Krishna troubled batters with up-and-down bounce as well as sideways movement to take 4-62. For England, Zak Crawley and Harry Brook went on to make half-centuries. While Crawley top-scored with 64, Brook's 53 helped England take a slender lead. Though England took out KL Rahul and B Sai Sudharsan, they would be ruing their three dropped catches, including that of Jaiswal, who raised his 13th Test fifty. In the morning, the session began with Karun Nair and Washington Sundar taking a boundary each off Tongue. But Tongue bounced back to deliver the first breakthrough for England when he got a ball to jag back in and beat Nair's inside edge to trap the batter plumb lbw for 57, with the right-handed batter also burning a review. In the next over, Washington was dismissed for 26 after he pulled a short delivery from Atkinson to deep square leg. Atkinson got his fourth wicket when his fuller delivery crashed into Mohammed Siraj's off stump to castle him through the gate. Two balls later, Atkinson completed a richly-deserving five-for by forcing Prasidh Krishna to nick an outswinger behind to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith. Atkinson's haul of 5-33 was all the more significant after Chris Woakes's left shoulder injury, sustained while fielding on day one's play, meant he won't be taking any further part in the match. It was unsurprising to see Duckett and Crawley be quick off the blocks in England's first innings, as they were severe on wide deliveries, irrespective of whether them being full or short. Crawley was magnificent in slashing, punching, and flicking Siraj for three fours, before Duckett ramped Akash Deep for six, just after surviving an lbw review. With Siraj, Akash, and Krishna unable to nail their lines and lengths, Crawley and Duckett merrily hit them for boundaries. The possibility of England ending their session wicketless came to a halt in the 13th over when Duckett once again tried to reverse scoop off Akash, but this time, he gloved it behind to wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel. Crawley brought up his third fifty-plus score of the series off 42 balls by dabbing Akash past gully for four, before Pope middled two drives off Prasidh for boundaries to end a super dominating morning session in England's favour. But the post-lunch session saw India put up a much-improved show with the ball – bowling tighter lines, good lengths, hitting the stumps much more to keep the pressure on the batters to get the session in their favour. Crawley had issues in timing the ball well after lunch, and in an attempt to pull off Prasidh, the right-handed batter top-edged to mid-wicket and fell for 64. Four overs later, Siraj got a length ball to come back in sharply and beat Ollie Pope's inside edge to trap him lbw for 22. India challenged the on-field call and got it in their favour as replays showed the ball hitting the middle and leg stumps. Brook and Joe Root tried stabilising England's innings by hitting five boundaries in their brief 33-run stand, before Siraj trapped the latter plumb lbw with a nip-backer coming in sharply again, as England also burnt a review. Siraj got more reward for his relentless toil when his inswinging yorker trapped Jacob Bethell lbw for just six. Prasidh then took over and dismissed Jamie Smith, who tried to punch off the back foot, but edged to KL Rahul, taking a sharp catch at second slip. At the stroke of tea, Prasidh trapped Jamie Overton plumb lbw for duck, as the session came to an end in India's favour. Atkinson began the final session by creaming Siraj and Prasidh each for a boundary. But on the fifth ball of the 47th over, Atkinson couldn't middle his pull shot and mid-on took a simple catch to give Prasidh his fourth wicket. Brook then swept Siraj for six in a style reminiscent of Rishabh Pant, before rain caused the proceedings to stop for 40 minutes. When play resumed, Brook brought up his 13th Test fifty off 57 balls. But Siraj managed to finish with four wickets as Brook tried to clip one away but was only left to see his stumps being rattled. With no Chris Woakes available for batting, it brought an end to England's innings at 247, their lowest total of this series. India's second innings began with Jaiswal driving crisply and using the cut shot well to take five boundaries – four of which came off Gus Atkinson. Jaiswal got a life on 20 when his edge off Atkinson was put down by Harry Brook at second slip, as the ball raced to the boundary rope. Jaiswal then slashed Jamie Overton for six, before getting another boundary off Josh Tongue to keep India afloat. But from the other end, Rahul was beaten on the outside edge and eventually nicked to Joe Root, who took a sharp, low catch at first slip. Jaiswal again had fortune on his side when, on 40, substitute fielder Liam Dawson dropped a sitter at long leg. More trouble followed England when Zak Crawley shelled Sudharsan's catch on seven at third slip. Jaiswal brought up his fifty off 44 balls with an upper-cut six over the slip cordon off Atkinson. But the pacer bounced back 20 minutes before the stumps break when his wobble ball struck Sudharsan on the pad and was trapped lbw for 11. The left-handed batter went for a review, but to no avail as replays showed the ball crashing into the stumps. Jaiswal and nightwatchman Akash Deep ensured India suffered no further damage to set the stage for another exciting day of Test cricket.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Duleep Trophy: Ishan Kishan To Lead East Zone; Md Shami, Akash Deep Included
India and Bengal fast bowler Mohammed Shami has been named in the East Zone squad for the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy, starting on August 28 in Bengaluru. Apart from Shami, the likes of Akash Deep, and Abhimanyu Easwaran have also been included in the East Zone squad, which will be led by wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who recently scored two half-centuries in two innings for Nottinghamshire in the ongoing County Championship Division One. The 34-year-old Shami was last seen in action in IPL 2025, where he picked up six wickets in nine matches at an economy rate of 11.23 for his new team Sunrisers Hyderabad. His last first-class game was for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy in November 2024. The veteran right-arm pacer last played for India in their victorious 2025 Champions Trophy campaign. Meanwhile, Easwaran, the right-handed opener who warmed the bench in the ongoing Test series against England, will be the vice-captain. Akash Deep, who picked a ten-wicket haul in India's 336-run win in Birmingham, and is in action at The Oval, will handle pace bowling duties alongside Shami, Mukesh Kumar and Suraj Jaiswal. Other prominent players include India all-rounder Riyan Parag and Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra. Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who made heads turn with a 35-ball century in IPL 2025 for Rajasthan Royals and struck the fastest century in Youth ODIs on India Under-19's tour of England last month, is amongst the stand-by players. The Duleep Trophy will be held in the old zonal format of six teams and marks the beginning of 2025/26 domestic cricket season. East Zone will begin their campaign with a quarter-final clash against North Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground, with the game's winner set to meet South Zone in the semi-final. East Zone Squad: Ishan Kishan (c) (Jharkhand), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vc) (Bengal), Sandeep Pattnaik (Odisha), Virat Singh (Jharkhand), Denish Das (Assam), Sridam Paul (Tripura), Sharandeep Singh (Jharkhand), Kumar Kushagra (Jharkhand), Riyan Parag (Assam), Utkarsh Singh (Jharkhand), Manishi (Jharkhand), Suraj Jaiswal (Bengal), Mukesh Kumar (Bengal), Akash Deep (Bengal) and Mohammed Shami (Bengal) Stand-bys: Mukhtar Hussain (Assam), Aasirwad Swain (Odisha), Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Bihar), Swastik Samal (Odisha), Sudip Kr Gharami (Bengal) and Rahul Singh (Assam)
