IPL 2026: Bethell replaces injured Phil Salt as RCB elect to bowl against GT
Bengaluru, April 24
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and elected to bowl against Gujarat Titans in Match 34 of the Indian Premier League 2026 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, on Friday.
RCB opener Phil Salt has picked up an injury, as his countryman Jacob Bethell replaced him in the playing eleven. For GT, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, and Manav Suthar come in for Prasidh Krishna, Glenn Philips, and Ashok Sharma.
RCB captain Rajat Patidar said, "It's pretty obvious we want to bowl first. As we all know, chasing gives a sort of clarity about the wicket and the score. There's one change. Salty got injured, and Bethell comes in.
On doing well at home, he said, "A great point that I like, we are assessing the wicket and the situation pretty well. Of course, there's a lot of planning behind it. Whenever you come here to Chinnaswamy, it's a good wicket to bat on. There's no grass on it. It might be a bit tacky in the first innings."
GT captain Shubman Gill said, "Not really. Generally, on this ground, teams have had success chasing. But it looks like a good wicket. Honestly, it's about assessing the conditions quickly. If you can get a good Power-play, you can build on that. Just keep mounting on the good start."
On losing their previous game, Gill said, "Games like that in tournaments like this can happen. But it's about reminding us what has worked for us as a team and backing ourselves. We have a couple of changes. Jason Holder comes, and he is making his debut tonight. Manav also comes in."
Playing XIs:
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), B Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj.
Impact substitutes: Prasidh Krishna, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Nishant Sindhu, Arshad Khan
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam.
Impact substitutes: Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Venkatesh Iyer
— IANS
Reader Comments
Honestly, GT's lineup looks stronger on paper. Having Holder, Rabada, and Siraj in the bowling unit is scary. But RCB's batting depth is impressive—Virat, Padikkal, David, Shepherd...if they click, 200+ is on the cards. Exciting match ahead! 🔥
As a neutral fan, I'm loving the tactical battle between Patidar and Gill. Both captains have clear plans—RCB wants to chase, GT wants early wickets. Bethell's inclusion is interesting; he's a talented young all-rounder. Should be a cracker of a game! 🏏
One change I would've liked to see is Venkatesh Iyer in the playing XI instead of Padikkal. Padikkal has been inconsistent this season. But I trust Patidar's captaincy—he's been brilliant with his bowling changes. Let's see if RCB can defend their title with this squad. 💪
I'm worried about RCB's spin department. Suyash Sharma is inexperienced and Krunal Pandya is more of a containing bowler. Rashid Khan could be a handful on this deck. But RCB's pace attack with Bhuvneshwar, Hazlewood, and Rasikh is top-notch. Balanced teams on paper.
So excited to see Washington Sundar back for GT! He's been underutilized in recent seasons. And Jason Holder making his GT debut—could be a game-changer. RCB's lower order with Shepherd and Krunal is dangerous too. I'm predicting a
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