New Delhi: Virat Kohli was not included in the starting XI for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Lucknow Supergiants Bangalore but he has been named as one of the impact players, which means he can still come in to bat if required. He missed the start after sustaining an ankle injury in RCB’s last match against Mumbai Indians, in which the team registered an 18-run victory. Kohli has been a consistent opening partnership with Philip Salter, so his limited role has slightly affected the balance of the team.RCB captain rajapatidar Opting to pitch first, trusting the field conditions will help early on. “We’re going to bowl first. That’s obvious. I saw a very good surface,” Patidar said during the toss.
“So, we bowl first, take advantage of the first innings, keep the pressure on. There’s not much (on the pitch). There was a lot of grass last game. But I think this wicket, I think there’s no grass. So, it’s going to be a good track. But, yeah, let’s see.”LSG captain Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, sounded confident despite his team’s inconsistent performance so far. “We are very confident that [it’s a] Good hitting distance. Whether we strike first or second, we need to do a good job,” he added. “We don’t want to be too introspective; trust your team and do a good job. There are a lot of leaders on the team, so go out and perform well. We’re on the same team, too.”RCB has made a change by introducing Josh Hazlewood. Patidar said: “I think everyone has done a lot of good things for the team…There’s been just one change. Josh Hazlewood replaced Duffy.”Despite Kohli’s recent injury, he can still be an impact player and the game remains close as both teams are keen to top the table.Lucknow Super Giants (Starting Lineup): Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (w/c), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Mukul Chaudhry, Mohammad Shami, Avish Khan, Digwish Singh Rati, Prince Yadav.Lucknow Supergiant rush substitutes: Manimaran Siddharth, George Linde, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Mayank YadavRoyal Challengers Bangalore (Starting Lineup): Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam DarRoyal Challengers Bangalore Impact Subs: Virat Kohli, Venkatesh Iyer, Jordan Cox, Kanishk Chouhan, Mangesh Yadav
