RCB wins toss, opts to field against PBKS

RCB captain Faf Du Plessis won the toss against Punjab Kings and chose to field first here at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Friday.

The match is extremely important for both sides as far as playoffs are concerned. RCB will look forward to solidifying their spot in the final four with a win. 

On the other hand, PBKS will be looking forward to registering a thumping win to keep their hopes of progressing further in the tournament alive. RCB is currently fourth in the points tally with 14 points, with two wins in their last five games. In their previous game, Bangalore registered a 67-run win against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

On the other hand, PBKS are at eighth in the table with 10 points, with two wins in their last five games. In their previous game, the side registered a 6-wicket defeat against the Rajasthan Royals.

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf Du Plessis said during the toss, “We will have a bowl. The trends in the competition suggests that the wickets are getting better, toss is not making much of a difference. One side is a bit short, so that’s a factor. Same team. We played some good all-round cricket in the last few games, hopefully everyone can play their role perfectly today as well. Looks a good wicket, just unsure how it will play early on, so just want to have a bowl.

Punjab Kings captain Mayank Agarwal said during the toss, “Not a bad toss to lose. Want to put runs on the board and put pressure on them. Obviously, runs on the board is a factor. Harpreet Brar comes in for Sandeep Sharma. Left-arm spinner against them is a good matchup, so that’s why we have made the change. We have been playing good cricket but it’s been a bit on and off. Need to do that as a team (for longer periods).”

Playing XI: 

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

Punjab Kings: Jonny Bairstow, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Mayank Agarwal(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Liam Livingstone, Rishi Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh.