Ahmedabad: Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson won the toss and opted to bat first against Gujarat Titans in the title clash of the Indian Premier League 2022, here in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The Titans could have a significant psychological edge in this contest having won against the Royals in the first qualifier en route to the final. Add to that the expected full house in their own backyard at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad with a world-highest capacity of 132,000, and the Titans could easily run out the firm favorites.
On the flip side, if there is one man who on his own can switch the narrative on his team’s side, it’s Jos Buttler. It was his record-equalling fourth century of the season in Qualifier 2 that dashed RCB’s hopes of making it to the final. And yet again, the Englishman will be the key lynchpin at the top for the Royals.
At the time of toss, Sanju Samson said: “We will bat first. Looks like a good wicket, a bit dry and that’s why we’ll bat first, it’s a used wicket and might help our spinners in the second innings. We’re all positive and excited. Playing in front of this crowd is exciting. Same team for us.”
While Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya said: “We would have bowled first. This is fantastic to see so many people coming to support us. We have the opportunity to be a hero and this is the time for us.”
“People of Gujarat are very loyal, very excited for it. We have one change – Lockie Ferguson comes in place of Alzarri Joseph,” Hardik added.
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson(w/c), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Obed McCoy, and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Wriddhiman Saha(w), Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade, Hardik Pandya(c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal, and Mohammed Shami.
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