IPL 2021: Virat Kohli Wins Toss, RCB Bat First Against Punjab Kings in Sharjah

RCB led by Virat Kohli will look to seal their playoff berth in IPL 2021 with a win in Sharjah.

Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers share a light moment ahead of the game against Punjab in Sharjah in IPL 2021.

Image:BCCI

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli won the toss against Punjab Kings in Sharjah and opted to bat first.

KL Rahul said Punjab wanted to bowl first.

RCB have not made any changes to the playing XI from their last game while Punjab have made three changes with Harpreet Brar brought in for the game.

Punjab have to win today against Bangalore. A win for them will take them to fourth behind KKR, who play Sunrisers Hyderabad later in the evening.

Currently, CSK and DC have qualified for the knockouts with RCB at third and KKR at 4th. A win for RCB ensures they are through to the playoffs too.

Glenn Maxwell is facing up against his old side Punjab Kings, for whom he had bad season last time in UAE. Ahead of the game, Maxwell was seen sharing a few light moments and reconnecting with his old friends ahead of the game in Sharjah.

Punjab are of course without Chris Gayle, who has stepped out of the bio-bubble to recharge before the T20 World Cup, where West Indies are the defending champions.

“We'll bat. Looks like a really nice and hard wicket. We understand that the pitches tend to slow down here, precisely why we want to bat first and put pressure. We are playing the same side. We feel we have enough depth in all departments in our lineup. We got Harshal into our side on a trade and that is a signal to the players. He has understood his role. Maxwell has been moving around a lot and we gave him the freedom, and he is enjoying his time here with us as well. To be honest, this pitch looks much better than the last game we played here. If we play well, we could get those 20-25 extra runs which could be the difference. You need to make sure you get those runs and not leave them on the field. You need that momentum,” Virat Kohli said.

“I would have wanted to bowl, so not that disappointed at losing the toss. Our domestic performances are something that we are very proud of. That is what the IPL is about. Hopefully they can continue and they can grow ahead as well, which would be good for the Indian team as well. Three changes: Fabian is injured, so Harpreet comes in for him. Sarfaraz Khan comes in for Hooda and so does Moises Henriques for Ellis,” Rahul said at the toss.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (Playing XI): Virat Kohli(c), Devdutt Padikkal, Srikar Bharat(w), Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, Daniel Christian, George Garton, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Punjab Kings (Playing XI): KL Rahul(w/c), Mayank Agarwal, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Sarfaraz Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Moises Henriques, Harpreet Brar, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh