Jaipur, Apr 13 (UNI) Sri Lankan leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga marked his return to Rajasthan Royals’ playing XI as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won the toss and chose to field in a high-voltage IPL clash at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Sunday.
Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson confirmed the lone change in the line-up, announcing Hasaranga's inclusion with a smile. "Hasa is back. Hasaranga will be replacing our Farooqi ji," he said, hinting at renewed bowling firepower for RR.
Citing a solid, hard surface and the team’s preference to chase, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar said, "We will bowl first. Surface looks pretty hard and good. We will know how the pitch behaves," he remarked confidently.
Donning their traditional green kit for the occasion, RCB are aiming to do their bit for the environment. "This is to raise awareness to plant more trees," Patidar explained, adding a touch of purpose to the evening. The visitors have named an unchanged XI.
Samson, meanwhile, admitted RR, too, were looking to bowl first. "Actually we also wanted to bowl first. Normally it gets better to bat is the local information here," he revealed, underscoring the importance of adapting to home conditions.
With the league stage heating up and momentum at a premium, Samson emphasised the need to stay mentally resilient. "Ups and downs keep happening, can't allow doubts to enter into the dressing room," he stated, as RR look to regain rhythm.
Teams:
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson(w/c), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande
Impact Subs: Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kumar Kartikeya, Kunal Singh Rathore
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Yash Dayal
Impact Subs: Devdutt Padikkal, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh
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