CSK vs RCB Match Prediction: Who Will Win Today’s IPL Match?
The IPL 2025 season moves forward as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) prepare to host Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in what promises to be a compelling encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. With both teams bringing strong squads to the competition, this match presents an intriguing battle between traditional rivals with contrasting historical records.
CHENNAI: This match is more than just another day in the office. Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru isn’t quite the El Clasico of IPL because the head-to-head is a bit lop-sided in CSK’s favour. But there’s an element of rivalry that creates a sense of a derby.
A lot of it has to do with the proximity of the two southern megapolis – it’s just a six-hour drive from Bengaluru to Chennai – and the two sets of fans can really get passionate about their teams. Add to that the bit of heckling that the CSK fans had to deal with in Bengaluru after their loss in the virtual quarterfinal to RCB last year, and there will be an added zing to this contest on Friday.
Big picture: CSK vs RCB, a one-sided but high-voltage rivalry
This should be a dream match for the hype machine. Two of the three teams that have created a ferociously loyal fanbase at the grounds and on the internet. They represent capital cities of neighbouring states that share a river, often acrimoniously; whose rulers traversed boundaries repeatedly before the borders as we know them came to exist; whose people now build their lives in each other's states. Both states are given to hero-worshipping their film stars and politicians. Now they have accepted MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli for worship even though they are neither from there nor live there.
You see, the lack of cricketing closeness doesn't really matter to the ratings when it comes to CSK and RCB. You expect CSK to start as overwhelming favourites in home conditions, which are ignoring the memo that asks for even higher scoring rates than the last year.
CSK have put together Noor Ahmad, Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin; it is no surprise they put together a game where they completed a chase of 156 in the last over. RCB have built themselves up for higher scores, which showed in their emphatic chase of 175 in the tournament opener. But the Chennai conditions are going to be as big a challenge for them in IPL 2025 as any.
New loyalties
Josh Hazlewood's last team in the IPL before the break last year was RCB, but for some reason, you picture him in yellow when you think of the IPL. Possibly because his reinvention as a limited-overs bowler began at CSK in 2020 and 2021. He has made a great start for RCB this year with figures of 4-0-22-2.
Team news and likely XIIs
CSK love their allrounders, but it won't take long for question marks to appear over Sam Curran if he doesn't improve drastically from his start this year where he could bowl just one over and scored 4 off 9. This is in keeping with the dip in his form overall, which has resulted in his exit from the England team. As an overseas player, he keeps out Matheesha Pathirana, although a direct switch means Dhoni has to bat at No. 7, which CSK or Dhoni don't quite fancy.
Chennai Super Kings (probable): 1 Rachin Ravindra, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni (wk), 9 R Ashwin, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Noor Ahmad, 12 Khaleel Ahmed
Bhuvneshwar Kumar missed the previous game with a reported niggle. RCB will want him in if he is fit. They could think about legspinning allrounder Mohit Rathee or left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh if the pitch is expected to be heavily spin-friendly.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Rajat Patidar (capt), 4 Devdutt Padikkal/Mohit Rathee, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Tim David, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Rasikh Salam/Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Swapnil Singh, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Suyash Sharma
Let's See Today Night who will win…💀