John Bethell will leave the RCB camp after their clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad to join England’s three-match ODI series at Edgbaston, Birmingham in his debut season. Tim Seifert has been signed as a replacement for a price of 2 crores. The New Zealand wicketkeeper batsman has played 66 T20Is, scoring 10 half-centuries.
The Official X account for the Royal Challengers announced Tim’s singing, saying, “New Zealand’s explosive wicketkeeper batter, Tim Seifert, has been named as RCB’s temporary replacement for Jacob Bethell, who returns to England for national duties after our SRH match.”
Tim Seifert Steps In as Bethell Exits for England Duties
Tim Seifert will be replacing Bethell for the rest of the season, after his last appearance for the Delhi Capitals in 2022. In the IPL, Seifert hasn’t had many impressive performances, playing only 3 matches with an average score of 8.66 and a strike rate of 113.04. He made his debut for the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2021 but managed to score only 2 runs before getting dismissed in his sole appearance. Currently, the 30-year-old is in top form with Karachi Kings in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Having featured in nine matches, Seifert has accumulated 226 runs at a strike rate of 145.8, helping the team gain early momentum in the powerplay. He will be part of today’s Eliminator match against Lahore Qalandars and will join RCB when his PSL stint comes to an end.
Yoyal Challengers Bangalore has also replaced Lungi Ngidi, the South African fast bowler, with Zimbabwe’s 6 feet 8 inches pacer, Blessing Muzarabani. Subsequently, Blessing Muzarabani will join the RCB camp after completing the lone four-day Test against England.
RCB will now be looking forward to their match against SRH on Friday, as a win could see them rise to the top of the IPL table while they continue to fight for a playoff position against Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians, and Punjab Kings.
