RCB suffer huge blow ahead of IPL 2025 playoffs as Devdutt Padikkal ruled out; who is Bengaluru's new replacement star?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) suffered a huge blow ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs, after Devdutt Padikkal was ruled out on Wednesday due to an injury. Mayank Agarwal has been named as Padikkal's replacement for the rest of the tournament.

“Devdutt Padikkal, who played 10 matches for RCB this season and scored 247 runs with the help of two half-centuries, sustained an injury to his right hamstring,” IPL said in a statement.

Padikkal's injury comes a huge blow to the Rajat Patidar-led side, who are placed comfortably second in the points table with 16 points. The left-handed Karnataka batter has been impressive for RCB this year.

He might have scored two fifties in 10 games, but the small partnerships Padikkal stitches with either Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar and others helped the Bengaluru-based franchise overcome several hurdles this year.

"The knocks were crisp, the form was gold. Your story this season was magic untold. This campaign won’t be the same without you, Dev. Heal up fast, we’ll keep the fight on, and wait for your comeback next year, bold and strong! We love you, @devdpd07!" RCB said in a post.

Mayank Agarwal joins RCB for ₹1 crore

Unsold at the IPL 2025 mega auction, Agarwal joined RCB for ₹1 crore. So far he has played 127 IPL matches, scoring 2661 runs, including one hundred and 13 fifties against his name. The right-hander made his IPL debut for RCB back in 2011.

“After12 long years, he's back where he belongs. Happy #HomeComing, Mayank. 12th Man Army will be on top of the moon hearing this, and they’ll all be right behind you,” RCB said in a post.

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