IPL 2022: RCB win toss, opt to bat against GT

In the 43rd match of IPL 2022, Royal Challengers Bangalore opted to bat first after winning the toss against Gujarat Titans at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.

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Both GT and RCB have a contrasting campaign this season. RCB lost their last two matches while Gujarat Titans are on a four-match winning streak. While GT are currently the No. 1 ranked team, RCB are struggling to storm into the top four. 

For today’s game, GT made two changes. Pradeep Sangwan came in for Yash Dayal, who suffered a niggle, and for Abhinav Manohar, Sai Sudarshan came in.

RCB brought in Mahipal Lomror in place of Suyash Prabhudessai. 

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What did the captains say? 

Faf du Plessis: We are going to break the trend and have a bat first. Obviously, it is a day game, heat is one factor and I find that when you field first the boys are cooked by the time it is our turn to bat. But hopefully, the wicket will get a little bit slower. A couple of games in the tournament do not make you a bad team. There are still some high-class quality players, so keep trusting them and knowing things will change around the corner. With experience you know that the answer does not lie in the nets, it is just clarity in your own mind and calmness. One change – we have a leftie (Lomror) coming in.

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Hardik Pandya: Thank you (on being congratulated for playing his 100th IPL game). To be honest when I went to have a few knocks I thought I have come a long way. 2015 when it all started and today leading the side, proud of myself. We would have liked to bat first as well because of the heat. The wicket won’t change much. It is just about how we manage our intensity and don’t get overcooked. The boys had a couple of hits and it was all about recovery. We have made two changes, one forced as Yash Dayal has a niggle, Pradeep Sangwan comes in and for Abhinav Manohar, Sai Sudarshan comes in.

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Pitch report: This is a large ground. The last time RCB played here were hammered by fast bowlers. The Brabourne Stadium pitch has good bounce and seam. But as it is a day game there will not be much movement. The spin bowlers are in the game today. It is a good batting track. It has not got a lot of rough and has nice covering grass. 

Playing XI

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf du Plessis(c), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik(w), Shahbaz Ahmed, Mahipal Lomror, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Josh Hazlewood

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Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Hardik Pandya(c), Sai Sudharsan, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Pradeep Sangwan, Alzarri Joseph, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami