Dharamsala: Royal Challengers Bengaluru opener Phil Salt will miss the Qualifier 1 match against Gujarat Titans at the HPCA Stadium due to a finger injury sustained earlier this season. Having been sidelined for over a month, Salt traveled to England for further treatment and returned to the squad last week, sparking excitement among fans who believed he was fit to rejoin the playing XI.
However, RCB management determined that the 29-year-old requires additional time to fully regain his fitness. Consequently, the Rajat Patidar-led side has opted to promote Venkatesh Iyer to the top of the order, a decision backed by Iyer’s recent performance. He has scored 158 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 177.52, which allows star player Virat Kohli to settle in at the crease.
Salt’s absence also enabled Bengaluru to field an extra overseas seamer, an adjustment that could prove crucial. Jacob Duffy has been included in the lineup in place of Salt, joining Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood to form a formidable bowling attack with the new ball.
In the pre-match proceedings, Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first, citing the dew factor as a significant consideration. Gill noted that the conditions at the ground tend to favor teams chasing a target, as dew often affects visibility and playing conditions in the second innings. He also announced one change to the Titans lineup, with Kulwant Khejroliya replacing Arshad Khan.
“We’re gonna bowl first. It looks like a good wicket, you know, but we have seen, particularly at this ground, that there is a bit of dew in the second innings. It’s always good to have a total on the board and a big win and then try to chase it down,” Gill remarked after the toss.
RCB vs GT Playing XI:
Gujarat Titans: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar
