RR Opt to Bowl First vs RCB in Guwahati Clash After Rainy Pitch Assessment

After winning the toss, RR captain Riyan Parag chose to bowl, citing recent rain and expected moisture in the pitch. He added that the team has been clinical and focused on playing smart, strategic cricket and aims to continue adapting well and maintaining their strong form.

"We're going to be bowling. It was supposed to be a dry wicket, but it has been raining for the last couple of days, and it rained a bit today as well. So there's going to be a little moisture. We're trying to extract it, but it seems like a really good wicket. Feels great. I think we've been very clinical before the start of the tournament. My message to the team was that we want to be a really pure team that plays really strategic cricket, really smart cricket. So hopefully we keep on assessing and adapting as we have been in the first three games and hopefully come up with really good points," Parag said.

The Royals have been in dominant form this season. They kicked things off with a win over five-time champions Chennai Super Kings, followed it up with a comfortable victory against Gujarat Titans, and most recently defeated another five-time titleholder, Mumbai Indians.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, meanwhile, have looked just as commanding as any side in IPL 2026. They began their campaign with a victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad and followed it up by defeating the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Chennai Super Kings in a high-profile clash between fierce rivals, setting the tone for their title defence. Heading into their match against Rajasthan Royals, the Rajat Patidar-led team will be aiming not only for a third consecutive win but also to end RR's winning run.

RR vs RCB playing 11s:

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma.

Rajasthan Royals Impact subs: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Shubham Dubey, Tushar Deshpande.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Josh Hazlewood.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact Subs: Suyash Sharma, Jacob Bethell, Rasikh Salam Dar, Kanishk Chouhan, Venkatesh Iyer.

- ANI