IPL 2018: Match 51, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad - Toss Report

Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and decided to field first against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the fifty-first match of the Indian Premier League at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.

Here is what the captains said:

Virat Kohli:

“We wanted to bowl but SRH are not a bad side to bat first against. We can play with freedom. We are going to do well whatever we are doing first. We have been through these times before, so the key is to enjoy. There’s no reason to think too much now because we have two (consecutive) wins. We have won two games, so we are playing with the same side.We’ll try and replicate the same tonight.”

Kane Williamson:

“We will bowl. Hard to know how the surface will play. Hopefully we can restrict them. We have one change: Basil Thampi comes in for Bhuvneshwar. Great opportunity for Basil tonight. Hopefully we can adapt to conditions.”

Preview:

Playoff spot hopefuls Royal Challengers Bangalore have a herculean task at their hands when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the must-win clash. A win against the table-toppers will keep alive Royal Challengers’ slim chances of a playoff spot. However, a defeat can end their season tonight itself. The momentum is with the Royal Challengers as they are entering the game with a win against Delhi Daredevils.

On the other hand, Sunrisers would be looking to get back to winning ways to enter the playoffs in the best possible mood. Chennai Super Kings had thrashed them in the last outing and the Kane Williamson-led side will be keen to move on. Moreover, with the playoff spot and top-two finish already sealed, the upcoming game also gives the Sunrisers an opportunity to try their bench strength.

Here is the playing elevens:

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

Virat Kohli(c), Parthiv Patel(w), Moeen Ali, AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Sunrisers Hyderabad:

Alex Hales, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Deepak Hooda, Shreevats Goswami(w), Rashid Khan, Basil Thampi, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma