IPL 2023: RR won the toss and chose to bowl against PBKS

DHARAMSALA: Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson won the toss and opted to field against Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Friday. It is a do-or-die match for both teams.

Even if RR or PBKs manage to clinch two points at the end of the night, a playoff spot would still remain out of their reach. Their qualification will depend on the results of the other teams. But a victory will keep their hopes of making it into the IPL playoffs alive.

RR skipper Sanju Samson said at the toss that they had chosen to bowl looking at the requirements.

"We will bowl. Looking at the dimensions and looking at what we require in the tournament, it is better to bowl. We need to win the game. Then see how the other games go. If you want to play good T20 cricket, you need to forget things. We have had four to five days off. One has to understand the conditions. We have a couple of changes. Last-minute changes. Ashwin misses out because of a back spasm."

PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan said there is no change in the team. "Last match, dew wasn't much. First batting or second, it shouldn't change much. We will come and enjoy the game. Will try to give our best shot. We need to take more wickets in the first 6 overs. We can cash in more. We are playing the same team."

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson(w/c), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Adam Zampa, Trent Boult, Navdeep Saini, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan(c), Prabhsimran Singh, Atharva Taide, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma(w), Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Rahul Chahar, Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh.