Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes Royal Challengers Bengaluru could make a decisive tweak to their XI for their last home match of the campaign at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The opponents are Gujarat Titans, and Ashwin’s hunch is that RCB may consider dropping Romario Shepherd, replacing him either with a specialist overseas batter or an overseas bowling option.
He pointed to Jacob Duffy and Jacob Bethell as the most plausible candidates for the role, while noting that Bengaluru’s overall balance still looks strong. Ashwin also referenced RCB’s recent form—an excellent start followed by a wobble—suggesting the team might respond with a change to its combination.
Quick facts
- Ashwin expects RCB may not include Romario Shepherd in the XI vs Gujarat Titans.
- Possible replacements: Jacob Duffy (bowling option) or Jacob Bethell (overseas batter).
- RCB began the season with three straight wins, but have lost two of their last three matches.
- In the previous home outing, RCB lost to Delhi Capitals after Shepherd couldn’t defend 15 runs in the final over.
- Ashwin wants to watch how Rashid Khan bowls, saying the previous two games were below his usual standard.
- Ashwin backed RCB to win against Gujarat Titans.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said he has a feeling Shepherd will miss out and that RCB could instead go with Duffy or a hitter such as Bethell. He added that Bengaluru’s strength remains evident on both fronts, with their batting and bowling both giving reasons for confidence.
RCB’s most recent match at home ended in disappointment against Delhi Capitals. Shepherd was unable to hold his nerve in the last over, conceding enough to let the chase slip away, and the result left RCB searching for a response heading into the GT game.
Despite that setback, Ashwin expects a bounce-back from Bengaluru. He highlighted Rashid Khan’s impact, remarking that the last couple of matches have been slightly under the standard set by the Afghanistan leg-spinner, and suggesting that the contest could look different in this fixture.
On the powerplay dynamics, RCB carry a clear edge over Gujarat Titans when batting. Their top order—backed by Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal and captain Rajat Patidar—has the ability to keep pressure on bowlers even when wickets tumble, creating sustained momentum early in innings.
RCB’s powerplay strike rate this season stands at 175, compared to GT’s 135. The numbers also underline Bengaluru’s six-hitting threat in the opening overs, with 34 maximums in the powerplay—best among all teams—while Gujarat Titans have managed just eight, the lowest in the league during that phase.
RCB Predicted XI vs GT (Ashwin’s call)
- Virat Kohli
- Philip Salt
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Rajat Patidar (c)
- Jitesh Sharma (w)
- Tim David
- Krunal Pandya
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Suyash Sharma
- Josh Hazlewood
- Rasikh Salam Dar
- Jacob Duffy / Jacob Bethell
