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Arun - March 27, 2025
Two of the tournament’s most popular teams clash at Chepauk this Friday. Both sets of fans had reasons to cheer as their teams started with strong wins.
Chennai defeated their long-time rivals, Mumbai Indians, in a close, low-scoring match. They restricted Mumbai to 155/9 in 20 overs, the second-lowest total of the season. Though the chase wasn’t easy, Chennai sealed the win with five balls to spare.
Meanwhile, Bangalore’s win against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders was a big confidence booster. They chased down KKR’s target of 175 in just 16.2 overs. Openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli both scored half-centuries, setting up a dominant victory.
Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Head-to-Head
The rivalry between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru has been a highlight of the Indian Premier League. In their last five encounters, CSK has dominated, securing four victories to RCB’s one. Notably, CSK triumphed in matches held on April 25, 2021, September 24, 2021, April 12, 2022, and April 17, 2023, while RCB’s sole win during this period was on May 4, 2022.
At CSK’s home ground, MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), the Super Kings have been particularly formidable. CSK has won seven out of eight IPL encounters at this venue, with RCB’s only victory dating back to 2008.
Overall, CSK leads the head-to-head record with 21 wins in 33 matches against RCB’s 11 victories. This consistent performance underscores CSK’s upper hand in this enduring IPL rivalry
Chennai Super Kings have a well-balanced squad. Their batting lineup, led by Kiwi all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, is strongly supported by Rahul Tripathi and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The middle order adds depth with all-rounders like Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, and R. Ashwin, who contribute with both bat and ball. In the bowling attack, Noor Ahmad and Khaleel Ahmed provide a solid pace option. With a well-structured squad, major changes are unlikely.
RCB impressed in their season opener against KKR, particularly with their aggressive batting approach. Despite not having the most star-studded squad, they impressed with strong teamwork. Their bowling in the final 10 overs against KKR was outstanding, as they took seven wickets for just 67 runs. The bowling unit, which features Krunal Pandya, Josh Hazlewood, and Yash Dayal, looks sharp. In batting, they have IPL legend Virat Kohli alongside in-form Phil Salt and Rajat Patidar, making them a strong opponent for CSK.
Rachin Ravindra (CSK): He is right after an outstanding Champions Trophy campaign and how set he is was proven in CSK’s first match against Mumbai Indians as he stood with an unbeaten 65 runs. His IPL debut last season was against RCB and scored 37 runs off just 15 balls.
Khaleel Ahmad (CSK): The main bowler to make the Mumbai top three collapse. He sent back Rohit Sharma for a duck and dismissed the dangerous Rickleton in the third over. He also took 30 wickets in his last 25 IPL matches.
Virat Kohli (RCB): Kohli performed well against CSK last season, scoring over 20 runs in both matches. In the most recent encounter, his valuable 47 helped Bangalore gain momentum early, ultimately aiding their playoff qualification.
Krunal Pandya (RCB): He is not here just because his first match spell against KKR. But the pitch of Chepauk is favorable for the slow arm bowlers, bringing a solid chance for Krunal to deliver a breakthrough in the bowling expecially after the first 6 overs.
Captain- Ruturaj Gaikwad
Rachin Ravindra, Deepak Hooda, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, MS Dhoni, Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Nathan Ellis, Khaleel Ahmed
Imapct Player- Rahul Tripathi
Captain- Rajat Patidar
Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal
Impact Player: Vaibhav Arora
Chennai Super Kings have an extra advantage in this match as they are playing at home, where their fans turn up in huge numbers to support them. Dhoni’s presence still draws massive crowds to Chepauk.
However, in recent games, other players have stepped up instead of Dhoni. Against Bangalore, the most reliable batter was Rachin Ravindra. He scored an explosive 37 on his debut against RCB and followed it up with 61 in the second match last season. Given this record, backing Rachin to score over 19.5 runs is a strong betting option.
Yash Dayal is another player to watch, as he took wickets against Chennai in both matches last season. He also dismissed a well-set Raghuvanshi in the opening game this season. Along with Krunal Pandya, he could trouble Chennai’s batting lineup on Friday.
Additionally, Chennai has scored over 55 runs in the powerplay against RCB in their last two meetings. With aggressive batters like Rachin Ravindra and Ruturaj Gaikwad, this total is achievable—especially if RCB doesn’t rely too much on spinners early in the innings.
