Royal Challengers Bengaluru chose to bowl versus Gujarat Titans after winning the toss at Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and chose to bowl first against Gujarat Titans in their 2026 match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The decision was made to better understand the pitch, which had no grass covering, allowing the team to gauge how the ball would behave later in the evening.
This strategic choice aimed to provide early insights into the playing conditions, helping RCB tailor their approach as the match progressed.
RCB announced their playing XI with Virat Kohli opening alongside Devdutt Padikkal and captain Rajat Patidar. The lineup included Jitesh Sharma as wicketkeeper, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, and Rasikh Dar.
Phil Salt was ruled out due to injury and replaced by Jacob Bethell as the Impact Player, who could only be introduced in the second innings if needed.
The team retained five Impact Player options: Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, and Venkatesh Iyer.
Gujarat Titans made two changes to their starting XI, with Jason Holder replacing Glenn Phillips—marking his debut for the side—and Manav Suthar taking Ashok Sharma’s spot.
Shubman Gill led the team, supported by B Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Manav Suthar, and Mohammed Siraj.
The match was played on a central pitch at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where both square boundaries were set at 61 metres and the straight boundary at 74 metres.
The bare pitch and moderate short-side restrictions suggested a batting-friendly outfield, requiring both teams to adjust their strategies quickly.
The lack of grass on the pitch further highlighted the need for early assessments to optimize bowling and batting approaches.
Looking ahead, both teams will need to adapt swiftly to the conditions, with RCB aiming to exploit any early advantages from bowling first.
Gujarat Titans, featuring debutant Jason Holder, will look to capitalize on their batting depth while managing the pitch’s behavior.
The match promises to be closely contested, with strategies likely to evolve as the game unfolds and conditions become clearer.