Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill (Image Agency) Gujarat Titans won the toss and decided to field first against Punjab Kings as the playoffs heat up.Explaining his decision, captain Shubman Gill said his side wanted to stick with what had worked in recent times. “We will bowl first. We have chased well in the last few matches and our bowling is doing well, so we will continue that trend,” he noted, adding that the surface could offer something soon. Gill also pointed out that the team has peaked at the right time and praised the completion of the middle order, especially the recent efforts of Rahul Tewatia. He confirmed one change as Nishant Sindhu made his debut.Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer, meanwhile, felt that the pitch looked good for batting but with enough assistance for the bowlers. “It looks beautiful, there’s a bit of grass on the goal and something bouncing because it’s black ground,” he noted. Iyer highlighted the challenges of the tough schedule but maintained that his side remains focused. “It’s not frustration, it’s an intense league … it’s just another game and we’ll do the best we can. He also confirmed the changes, with Xavier and Vyshak joining the bowling attack.Teams:
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Bhuvneshwar Kumar on RCB loss: ‘It was just an off day’Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Prabhsimran Singh(w), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer(c), Marcus Stoinis, Suryansh Shedge, Nehal Wadhera, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Manav Suthar.With Gujarat Titans currently fifth and pushing hard for a place in the playoffs, a win today could go a long way in boosting their position and potentially level them with the teams above. However, they face a tough test against table-toppers Punjab Kings, who have been one of the most consistent teams this season despite a rare defeat in their last match. All signs point to high stakes and a close match.
