Dubai:Steve Smith-led Rajasthan Royals opted to bat first after winning the toss against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 33rd match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium here on Saturday.
After winning the toss, RR skipper Steven Smith said, "We are batting. Day game, better to bat first. Same team for us. We have got a good mix with Stokes back, we did a lot of things right in the last game. The wickets are slowing up, one reason for batting first."
At the toss, Virat Kohli said, "This pitch looks a lot better, the surface looks a lot better than what we had in Sharjah. We would have batted first as well. Couple of changes for us - Mann is back for us, he replaces Siraj. Dube misses out, Shahbaz Ahmed gets his first game today. That helps us get the balance back. We have learnt from our losses, that shows the character in the team. It's been a hectic schedule this week, it's all about executing our plans."
Meanwhile, the Virat Kohli-led outfit remains static at the third spot in the standings despite enduring an eight-wicket loss against KXIP on Thursday. Kohli & Co need to tighten their seat belts as the league is now heading towards its business end.