Chennai:Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore have won the toss and elected to bowl first against Rohit Sharma's Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) season opener on Friday at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium here.
Kohli will open for his team after his successful run as an opener against England in the recently-concluded series that India won.
The pitch is a typical Chennai wicket where spinners are expected to get a lot of turn and deviation. However, the new ball is said to come nicely on the bat and the batsmen will look to make the most of it.
Three players -- Glenn Maxwell, Kyle Jamieson and Daniel Christian will make their debut for the RCB team.
"It's unbelievable, bit of a mini-break helped me I guess to win a toss. Going to bowl first. They're a side who likes chasing. Good chance for us to get onto the park and create some intensity. With the balance we have this year we can do both, but have to understand who you're playing against. We understand with the depth they have they have never out of the game. Bowling first was a no-brainer for us. Every year IPL has a different energy, a different vibe. It's high intensity. Playing for the same franchise has been an honour for me. Loyalty is a big thing for me. Dubai was great as well but this just feels like home. Great feeling to be playing in our stadiums and for people to watch in our prime times. Three guys making their debut: Maxwell, Jamieson, Christian is back after eight years for the same franchise," the RCB captain said.