Ahmedabad, April 17 -- Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and elected to bat first against Gujarat Titans in their IPL clash here on Friday, citing the need to allow his batsmen to play with freedom and set the tone.
"We are looking to bat first, want our batsmen to bat freely. We just want to turn it around, so batting first is a good option. If you are doing well, people will take it well, otherwise they will criticise. T20 format is all about momentum," Rahane said at the toss, adding that Tim Seifert comes into the side in place of Finn Allen.
Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill said he would have preferred to bowl first, pointing to the possibility of dew later in the evening.
"We wanted to bowl first, to be h...