The Indian Premier League (IPL) is going to end a week later than scheduled due to the military conflict. In the meantime, the busy international schedule has also started. As a result, the franchises are having to make huge changes even at the last minute of the tournament. Due to the cricketer crisis, the IPL team has also been seen reaching out to the cricketers playing in the PSL. Royal Challengers Bangalore has taken one such player as a replacement this time.

Virat Kohli’s team has already confirmed the IPL playoffs. However, they have one more match left in the league stage. They will face Lucknow Super Giants in the last match on May 27. In that match, Bengaluru will not get England wicketkeeper-batter Jacob Bethell. He will join the English national team for the upcoming series against the West Indies. As a result, New Zealand’s Tim Seifert has been brought in to replace him.

Currently, this Kiwi wicketkeeper-batter is playing for PSL franchise Karachi Kings. The franchise will play the PSL eliminator match against Lahore Qalandars today (Thursday). If Karachi wins this match, however, it will have to play the second qualifier to reach the final. All in all, Seifert may have to stay in PSL till the final on May 25. As such, there should be no problem for him to join the IPL. Because Bengaluru’s last league match is on May 27. However, the IPL press release stated that Seifert would be available from May 24.

Seifert played an important role in opening the innings with Karachi Kings captain David Warner in the PSL. The Kiwi batsman has scored 226 runs in 9 matches at a strike rate of 145.80 and an average of 25.11. Meanwhile, the 30-year-old Seifert has experience of playing in the IPL before. He played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2021 season and Delhi Capitals in the next season. This time he has been called up in Bethel’s absence. The English star will join the national team duty after the match against Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad tomorrow (May 23).

This was the first time that Bethel had a chance to play in this IPL. However, he did not get more than 2 matches in the XI. On May 3, he returned to the XI and scored 52 off 33 balls against Chennai Super Kings. Then the IPL was suspended. In total, Bethel scored 67 runs at an average of 172 in 2 matches. Apart from Bethel, Bangalore is not getting their regular member of the XI Josh Hazlewood. He left India in a conflict situation, and then his return became uncertain due to the World Test Championship final in Australia.

Similarly, South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi has also returned to the country for the Test Championship final. That is why Bengaluru has taken Zimbabwean pacer Blessing Mujarabani in his place in the playoffs. In the league stage so far, they are in the top two with 17 points after winning 8 out of 12 matches. There are two more matches left. Apart from this, the other three teams that have confirmed the IPL playoffs are Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians.