Gujarat Titans will bowl first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at home in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Both Gujarat Titans (GT) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) named unchanged XIs for the Ahmedabad fixture. Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill opted to bowl first, citing potential dew later in the evening. RCB opener Phil Salt remains sidelined due to injury, prompting Jacob Bethell to partner Virat Kohli at the top of the order. Seamer Rasikh Dar is expected to join RCB’s playing XI from the Impact Subs bench when they take the field.
Left-arm seamer Arshad Khan kept his spot in GT’s playing XI, while seamers Prasidh Krishna and Ashok Sharma were omitted. Neither Prasidh nor Ashok featured in GT’s Impact Subs list, which includes Rahul Tewatia as the likely replacement when GT bat. Gill highlighted the pitch’s live grass covering, suggesting early swing could favor bowlers in the powerplay. Patidar, however, believed the surface might not overly assist bowlers throughout the match.
RCB’s top order comprises Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethell at the top, followed by Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (captain), and Jitesh Sharma. Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, and Josh Hazlewood complete the XI. Rasikh Dar leads RCB’s Impact Subs alongside Jordan Cox, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, and Venkatesh Iyer.
GT's full squad and bench strength
| Shubman Gill (c) | B Sai Sudharsan | Jos Buttler (wk) | Jason Holder | M Shahrukh Khan |
| Washington Sundar | Arshad Khan | Rashid Khan | Kagiso Rabada | Mohammed Siraj |
| Manav Suthar |
| Rahul Tewatia | Glenn Phillips | Anuj Rawat | Nishant Sindhu | Kulwant Khejroliya |
RCB's full squad and bench strength
| Virat Kohli | Jacob Bethell | Devdutt Padikkal | Rajat Patidar (c) | Jitesh Sharma (wk) |
| Tim David | Romario Shepherd | Krunal Pandya | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Suyash Sharma |
| Josh Hazlewood |
| Rasikh Dar | Jordan Cox | Mangesh Yadav | Vicky Ostwal | Venkatesh Iyer |
A victory for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in this match would secure their third consecutive win and propel them to the top of the points table. The outcome hinges on RCB’s ability to adapt to dew-affected conditions after bowling first. RCB’s top-order depth and bowling variations will be crucial against a Gujarat Titans attack featuring world-class seamers. The home advantage for GT adds another layer to the tactical battle in Ahmedabad.