RCB vs GT: Why Kagiso Rabada Is Not Playing Today’s IPL 2025 Match?

The 14th match of the IPL 2025 season is being played between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. This is the first match of the season at this venue, and Gujarat Titans’ captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bowl first.

However, one major surprise in Gujarat’s playing XI was the absence of South African pacer Kagiso Rabada. Instead, left-arm pacer Arshad Khan was included in the team. The reason behind Rabada’s exclusion has not been officially confirmed, but it could be due to either rest, team strategy, or a minor injury concern.

Rabada has been a key bowler for GT this season, known for his ability to take wickets with the new ball and in the death overs. His absence could affect Gujarat’s bowling attack, especially at a venue like Chinnaswamy, which is known for its small boundaries and high-scoring matches.

Arshad Khan, who has replaced Rabada, is an emerging left-arm pacer who previously played for Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants.

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RCB vs GT Playing XIs

Gujarat Titans Playing XI: Shubman Gill (c), B Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Playing XI: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood,
Yash Dayal