IPL 2025: RCB win toss, opt to bowl against SRH; Bengaluru skipper Patidar to come in as impact substitute

ANI May 23, 2025 269 views

RCB won the toss and chose to bowl first against SRH in Lucknow. Stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma confirmed Rajat Patidar will feature as an impact substitute. SRH, already out of playoff contention, made three changes including Travis Head’s return. Both teams aim to finish the league phase strongly before the playoffs.

"It’s my first time captaining RCB... We want to win every game and win the cup." – Jitesh Sharma
Lucknow, May 23: Royal Challengers Bengaluru stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Lucknow on Friday in the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Key Points

1

RCB aims for top spot with strong bowling strategy

2

SRH tests bench strength ahead of next season

3

Patidar returns as impact sub after injury

4

Mayank Agarwal replaces injured Padikkal

RCB will look to leapfrog Gujarat Titans, move to the top of the table, and bolster its hopes of ending up in the top two of the group standings. Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, who are already out of the playoffs, will look to finish the season on a high. They already knocked Lucknow Super Giants from the race for a top-four finish earlier this week and could dent Bengaluru's chances of gaining momentum before next week's playoffs.

With designated captain Rajat Patidar still unfit, Jitesh was handed the responsibility of leading Bengaluru. Karnataka's Mayank Agarwal came in place of Devdutt Padikkal, who has been ruled out of the tournament due to an injury.

After winning the toss, Royal Challengers Bengaluru stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma confirmed Patidar would come in as an impact substitute and said, "It's my first time captaining RCB. I captained PBKS against SRH last year. We are thinking of bowling first, and want to take most of the surface moisture. We are looking forward to finishing the league at top of the table and entering the playoffs. The management has taken care of the players. We have a good atmosphere and culture. We want to win every game and win the cup. Rajat Patidar is the impact player. Mayank comes in for Padikkal."

Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins said during the time of the toss, "We have shown some good signs in the last few games. We are building our team for the next season. We need to play more consistently. We need to be at our best. Last game, we chased down 200 comfortably. I have been bowling with Shami and preparing for the upcoming Test cricket. We would have bowled, not sure how it will play. We have three changes. Travis Head is back, Abhinav Manohar and Unadkat are back as well."

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Jitesh Sharma(w/c), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Lungi Ngidi, Suyash Sharma

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact Subs: Rajat Patidar, Rasikh Dar, Salam Manoj Bhandage, Swapnil Singh

Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(w), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Abhinav Manohar, Pat Cummins(c), Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga

Sunrisers Hyderabad Impact Subs: Mohammad Shami, Harsh Dubey, Sachin Baby, Zeeshan Ansari, Simarjeet Singh.

Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Finally some good news for RCB fans! Bowling first is the right call with this Lucknow pitch. Hope Patidar makes an impact when he comes in. Ee sala cup namde! 🏆 #PlayBold
P
Priya M.
SRH playing for pride now but they can be dangerous spoilers. Remember how they crushed LSG's dreams! RCB better not take them lightly. Excited to see Travis Head back in action though!
A
Arjun S.
Why is RCB still experimenting with their batting order? Kohli should open with Salt, not come at 3. Our middle order looks shaky without Maxwell. Hope the management knows what they're doing.
S
Sneha R.
Jitesh Sharma as captain is a bold move! He did well with Punjab last year. Young Indian players getting leadership chances is great for our cricket future. All the best to him! 🤞
V
Vikram J.
SRH's team selection is confusing - why rest Shami when he needs match practice before the test series? Cummins seems more focused on international cricket than IPL at this stage.
N
Neha P.
As a neutral fan, just happy to see competitive cricket! Both teams have exciting young Indian talent - Nitish Reddy, Mayank Agarwal, Suyash Sharma. Future of Indian cricket looks bright 💫
K
Karthik D.
RCB's bowling attack looks balanced today with Bhuvi's experience and Ngidi's pace. But fielding needs to be sharp - we've

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Your email won't be published


Disclaimer: Comments here reflect the author's views alone. Insulting or using offensive language against individuals, communities, religion, or the nation is illegal.

Tags: