IPL 2025: Shepherd Steps In for Livingstone as RCB Opts to Bowl First Against PBKS
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Synopsis
On April 20, Royal Challengers Bengaluru's captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to bowl first against Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. RCB made a strategic change, introducing Romario Shepherd in place of Liam Livingstone.
Key Takeaways
- Rajat Patidar won the toss for RCB.
- RCB chose to bowl first against PBKS.
- Romario Shepherd replaced Liam Livingstone.
- Shreyas Iyer kept his team unchanged.
- The match is held at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium.
New Chandigarh, April 20 (NationPress) The captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajat Patidar, has successfully won the toss and chosen to bowl first against Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.
RCB, who faced a five-wicket defeat against Punjab Kings in Bengaluru on Friday, made a single adjustment by bringing in Romario Shepherd to replace Liam Livingstone.
"We're going to bowl first. The wicket appears to be in good condition and shouldn't change much. Batting second will provide enhanced clarity regarding the game and the pitch. Our focus is not on the venues, but rather on playing quality cricket. Shepherd is in for Livi," stated Patidar during the toss.
In contrast, Shreyas Iyer retained their victorious lineup with no changes for the home match.
"We also preferred to bowl. Ultimately, one must adjust based on the circumstances. It’s crucial to allow ourselves some time to observe how the ball behaves. This is our first afternoon match. We hope to secure a strong total. The support we received, particularly in our last game at this venue, was remarkable. We are sticking with the same team," Iyer commented.
Playing XIs-
Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer(c), Josh Inglis(w), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Impact Substitutes: Harpreet Brar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Suryansh Shedge, Glenn Maxwell, Praveen Dubey.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.
Impact Substitutes: Devdutt Padikkal, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh.
