Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) return to their home fortress, the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, to face an in-form Delhi Capitals (DC) side. However, RCB hasn’t always had it easy here, especially considering their only loss this season came at this very ground against Gujarat Titans. Delhi Capitals’ has been a force to reckon with. Three games. Three wins. No signs of slowing down. DC is riding high on confidence and team cohesion, making them one of the early title contenders.
RCB vs DC: Toss Update
Taking over the reins, Axar has brought calm and consistency to the Delhi camp. His smart use of bowlers and flexible batting order has been key to DC’s success.
DC captain Axar Patel won the toss and decided to bowl first. Faf du Plessis is back, after missing the last clash due to a niggle, the South African star is fit and firing, ready to open the innings again. Young wicketkeeper-batter Sameer Rizvi, who featured in the last match against CSK, has been benched.
Axar Patel said at the toss against RCB, “My fingers are fine, protecting it, but if needed, I will bowl all four overs. Faf is fit, he’s in and (Sameer Rizvi) Rizzie is out. We’ve decided on our order and KL will bat in the middle-order. Spinnerswill have a role here, but the fast bowlers can also take wickets. They’ll have to play thee roles they’ve been selected to do, we’ve two good leg-spinners, they’re our attacking options, we have defending options as well, so we’ll have to play according to whatever the match situation demands.”
Reason Behind Sameer Rizvi’s Absence
While DC hasn’t officially announced why Rizvi isn’t playing, insiders suggest it’s purely tactical. With Faf back, the team balance shifts, forcing DC to reshuffle their batting dynamics. Rahul, who opened last time with Fraser-McGurk, is now expected to bat at number 4 or 5. This gives DC more stability in the middle overs, especially against RCB’s spinners.
RCB vs DC Playing XIs
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal
Impact Subs: Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh
Delhi Capitals: Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, KL Rahul(w), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel(c), Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Mohit Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar
Impact Subs: Abishek Porel, Darshan Nalkande, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Donovan Ferreira
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