In a crucial match for both teams, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), led by stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma, won the toss and opted to bowl first against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The match is being played on a mixed-soil pitch in Lucknow, which has a nice grass covering. Matthew Hayden believes the pitch may be a bit tacky, and cutters might be the key to success, as he does not expect a high-scoring game.
As RCB prepares to bat, Rajat Patidar will come in as an Impact Player. With Tim David still sidelined due to injury, Liam Livingstone has been brought in, but Josh Hazlewood, who has recently joined the squad, will sit out for this game. Jitesh Sharma hinted that both Hazlewood and David will be available for the playoffs.
The other change for RCB sees Nuwan Thushara replacing Lungi Ngidi, who has returned to South Africa.
For LSG, the absence of Aiden Markram opens the door for Matthew Breetzke to replace him in the playing XI. Digvesh Rathi, who was serving a one-match ban, returns to the side, and Akash Deep makes way for him.
Pitch Conditions:
The square boundaries are nearly identical, measuring 64 and 66 meters, with the straight boundary at 74 meters.
Team Lineups:
Lucknow Super Giants:
- Matthew Breetzke
- Mitchell Marsh
- Nicholas Pooran
- Rishabh Pant (captain & wicketkeeper)
- Ayush Badoni
- Abdul Samad
- Himmat Singh
- Shahbaz Ahmed
- Digvesh Rathi
- Avesh Khan
- Will O’Rourke
Impact Player Options: Akash Singh, Prince Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Arshin Kulkarni
Royal Challengers Bengaluru:
- Phil Salt
- Virat Kohli
- Mayank Agarwal
- Liam Livingstone
- Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper)
- Romario Shepherd
- Krunal Pandya
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Yash Dayal
- Nuwan Thushara
- Suyash Sharma
Impact Player Options: Rajat Patidar, Rasikh Dar, Manoj Bhandage, Tim Seifert, Swapnil Singh
