On Friday, the stage is set for an exhilarating showdown between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as part of IPL 2025. The match will unfold at the historic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, a venue synonymous with cricketing drama. Both teams have kicked off their IPL season with promising victories and are looking to build on that momentum.
CSK began their campaign with a gritty win against the Mumbai Indians, successfully chasing down the goal of 156 runs with a decisive effort, closing at 158/6 in just over 19 overs. Ruturaj Gaikwad has emerged as a key figure this season, supported brilliantly by stalwarts like MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, who have been instrumental both with the bat and ball. The team’s compositional strength is evident in its mix of dynamic batting talent and a powerful bowling unit, particularly suited to exploiting the spin-friendly conditions at Chepauk. In their IPL history, CSK has an impressive record against RCB, claiming victory in 22 of their 33 matches, underlining their dominance, especially at home.
RCB, not to be outdone, started their season on a high note with a dominant victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets. Central to their success was an explosive inning from Virat Kohli, who scored 59 off 36 balls, and a solid 56 runs from Phil Salt off 31 balls. Under the guidance of captain Rajat Patidar, RCB seems to have achieved a more cohesive balance, blending aggressive batting with strategic bowling efforts led by Krunal Pandya. However, overcoming their recent struggles at Chepauk remains a significant hurdle, as they have yet to secure a win against CSK on this ground in the last few seasons.
CSK vs RCB Head-to-Head Record
- Matches Played: 33
- CSK Wins: 21
- RCB Wins: 11
- No Result: 1
IPL 2025 Match Details – CSK vs RCB
- Date and Time: March 28, 07:30 pm IST / 2:00 pm GMT
- Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
MA Chidambaram Stadium Pitch Report
Chepauk is renowned for serving up spin-friendly wickets, having hosted 78 IPL matches to date. Here, teams batting first boast a better success rate, with 46 wins compared to 32 wins for teams chasing. The pitch initially favors batters, thanks to its pace and bounce, making it easier for stroke-makers to score runs. However, as the match progresses, the pitch conditions tend to slow down, providing an edge to the spin bowlers, and making it challenging for teams batting second. As a result, winning the toss and opting to bat first remains a popular captain’s strategy to leverage early favorable conditions.
CSK vs RCB Dream11 Prediction Picks
- Wicketkeepers: Phil Salt, MS Dhoni
- Batters: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad
- All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Liam Livingstone, Krunal Pandya
- Bowler: Bhuvneshwar Kumar
CSK vs RCB Dream11 Prediction Captain and Vice-Captain
- Choice 1: Phil Salt (captain), Ravichandran Ashwin (vice-captain)
- Choice 2: Rachin Ravindra (captain), Virat Kohli (vice-captain)
CSK vs RCB Dream11 Prediction Backups
Consider keeping an eye on players like Shivam Dube, Sam Curran, Yash Dayal, and Josh Hazlewood as backup options.
CSK vs RCB Dream11 Team for Today’s Match (March 28, 7:30 pm IST):
Squads
Chennai Super Kings:
Andre Siddarth, Anshul Kamboj, Deepak Hooda, Gurjapneet Singh, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana, MS Dhoni, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Sam Curran, Shaik Rasheed, Shreyas Gopal, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar, Vansh Bedi
Royal Challengers Bengaluru:
Rajat Patidar (captain), Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thushara, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee
Also, make sure to check out our other stories, like the top individual performances for KKR during run-chases, featuring the incredible Quinton de Kock.
