Gujarat Titans Opt to Bowl First Against RCB in IPL Qualifier One

IPL Qualifier One: Titans vs. Challengers

Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 26: In a crucial IPL Qualifier One match, Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to field first against the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), on Tuesday.

The victor of this match will secure a place in the final, while the losing team will face the winner of the eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) for the second final spot. RCB enters this match as the top team in the league, boasting nine victories and five defeats, totaling 18 points. Meanwhile, GT finished the league stage in second place with an identical record.

For the Gujarat Titans, Kulwant Khejroliya has been brought in, replacing Arshad Khan. RCB will maintain their opening pair of Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer, which was effective in their last league match against SRH. English batsman Phil Salt remains sidelined as he recovers from a finger injury.

During the toss, GT captain Shubman Gill remarked, “We are going to bowl first. The wicket looks promising, but we know that dew can be a factor in the second innings here. It’s beneficial to have a target to chase. This match is about controlling the game. We’ve been performing well, and I hope we can keep it up. I have fond memories of playing here in my youth, and it’s one of the most beautiful grounds in the world. We have one change: Kulwant replaces Arshad.”

RCB captain Rajat Patidar commented, “Honestly, the wicket appears to be in great condition. It’s hard and should play well throughout the match. Our goal is to set a solid total and apply pressure on them. This first qualifier is a significant opportunity to reach the final, but we’re focused on taking it one game at a time. We aim to play to our strengths rather than concentrate too much on the opposition.”

-Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

-Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar

Impact subs:

-Gujarat Titans Impact subs: Rahul Tewatia, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Kumar Kushagra, Sai Kishore

-Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact subs: Romario Shepherd, Suyash Sharma, Kanishk Chouhan, Abhinandan Singh, Jordan Cox.