Manoj Bhandage IPL 2025: Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s new all-round prospect made a quiet but symbolic debut in the season opener, facing four balls and opening his IPL account with a solitary run. The left-hander from Karnataka walked in at a crunch moment, absorbed the pressure but fell while attempting his first boundary. With a strike-rate of 25 from that brief stay, the numbers hint at a work-in-progress finisher rather than a finished product. What makes the 24-year-old an intriguing pick for RCB is the untapped bowling dimension. Across 14 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy games he clocked speeds upwards of 135 kph and returned 11 wickets, yet RCB chose to unleash him purely as a pinch-hitter first-up. Zero overs in his maiden IPL outing means the mystery remains—when the management does throw the ball to Bhandage, the franchise will hope his skiddy pace and hard-length strategy can replicate those domestic returns on the grand stage. RCB shelled out ₹20 lakh to secure the uncapped all-rounder at the 2025 auction, signalling their long-term vision of grooming Indian talent who can deliver two overs in the powerplay and swing momentum with late-overs cameos. If the coming fixtures see Bhandage promoted ahead of the death overs, expect those four balls faced in the opener to quickly balloon into boundary-laden cameos—and the zero wickets column to flip into impactful breakthroughs.

Faf du Plessis has become one of the most bankable IPL openers across 13 seasons and four franchises, culminating in his 2025 stint with Delhi Capitals. The South African has stacked up 4,773 runs at a strike rate of 135, carving 439 boundaries and clearing the rope 174 times—numbers that paint the picture of a batsman who keeps the scoreboard in perpetual motion. With 39 half-centuries from 147 innings, he has built consistency into aggression, while his unbeaten 96 remains the tantalising high-water mark just short of a maiden IPL ton. From Chennai Super Kings’ yellow to Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s red and now Delhi Capitals’ blue, du Plessis has turned every jersey into a run-making statement, proving that adaptability and class travel well in T20 cricket.

Note: This overview is partially generated using AI and is based on statistical data. Please verify with official sources for complete accuracy.