Rajat Patidar won the toss and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) elected to bowl first against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The two sides are set to clash at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. RCB have won three of their four matches so far, while LSG have won two matches and sit on four points.
After winning the toss, Patidar chose to bowl first, expressing confidence in his team’s current form.
“We’re going to bowl first. It’s pretty obvious. I see a pretty good surface, so we want to take advantage early and keep the pressure on. Not much to say about the pitch — the previous game had a lot of grass, but this wicket looks bare, so it should be a good track. Let’s see how it plays. I think everyone is doing well for the team, stepping up at different stages and performing when needed. That’s what this team stands for. Just one change – Josh Hazlewood comes in place of Duffy,” Patidar said.
LSG skipper Rishabh Pant admitted that he would have preferred to bowl first as well. He stressed the importance of collective responsibility as his team looks to put up a competitive total against a strong RCB batting line-up.
“It looks like a pretty good wicket to bat on. On surfaces like this, you can choose to bat or bowl first, but eventually, you have to play better cricket. As a group, we need to regroup, come together, and take ownership of our roles. We don’t want to overthink every match — we just want to trust the group. Hopefully, individuals will step up and take responsibility to win matches for the team. Leadership is important, and we have many leaders in the group. Ultimately, it’s about going out there, handling pressure, and delivering for the team. We’re playing with the same XI,” Pant said.
Confirmed Playing XI for both teams:
Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar
