RCB Wins Toss, Chooses to Bowl Against SRH in IPL 2025

Lucknow, India – The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won the toss and elected to bowl first against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 65th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Friday, May 23. Stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma, filling in for the injured Rajat Patidar, made the announcement at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.

Jitesh stated that RCB opted to bowl first to take advantage of the moisture on the fresh Lucknow pitch. He expressed confidence in the team’s goal to finish at the top of the standings, aiming for the playoffs. “We have raised our bar and want to top the table. We are not complacent and want to win every game,” he said.

RCB is currently in second place with 17 points and is looking for a top-two finish, which would provide them with an advantage in the postseason. Meanwhile, SRH made three changes to their lineup, bringing back Travis Head, Abhinav Manohar, and Jaydev Unadkat.

Jitesh revealed that Rajat Patidar, recovering from a finger injury, will serve as the impact player for RCB. “Rajat is the impact player. Mayank Agarwal is replacing Devdutt Padikkal,” he confirmed. RCB head coach Andy Flower earlier announced that Patidar had indeed fully recovered.

Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins expressed optimism about their recent performances, stating that the team is focusing on building for future seasons. “We have shown some good signs in the last few games. We need to play more consistently,” he noted.

The teams have faced each other 25 times in the IPL, with RCB winning 11 matches and SRH claiming 13 victories. As they prepare for this match, the pitch conditions suggest that spinners could find success, and teams often prefer to chase at this venue.