A blockbuster Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash between arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) awaits as all roads lead to the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, March 28.
Chennai will be licking their wounds after RCB dashed their hopes of reaching the playoffs in a high-voltage clash last season. The five-time champions got off to a positive start in IPL 2025 as they defeated arch-rivals Mumbai Indians (MI) at home by six wickets. Meanwhile, RCB are coming into this clash on the back of a comprehensive seven-wicket triumph against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Some experts have picked CSK as the favourites to beat RCB on Friday. It is understandable as the surface at Chepauk is expected to favour the spinners, and CSK have the experienced Ravindra Jadeja-Ravichandran Ashwin duo and the in-form Noor Ahmad in their ranks. RCB, on the other hand, are a little bit light on spin-bowling resources. Krunal Pandya bowled a phenomenal spell at the Eden Gardens, but there are questions marks regarding his consistency. Meanwhile, Suyash Sharma erred in his lines and lengths and conceded 47 runs in his four overs. The hosts have a much more versatile spin-bowling line up.
However, RCB would want their batters to fire on all cylinders after Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Liam Livingstone, and captain Rajat Patidar looked in sublime touch in the first game. Salt and Kohli would want to take advantage of the field restrictions inside the powerplay and score as many runs as they can before the ball softens up and spinners start getting more purchase off the deck. CSK’s middle-order faltered against debutant spinner Vignesh Puthur in the previous game. They will look to come up with a better performance on Friday.
Match Details
Match
Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Match 8, IPL 2025
Venue
M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Date & Time
Friday, March 28, 2025, 7:30 PM (IST)
Live Broadcast and Streaming Details
JioStar Network Channels, JioHotstar (app & website)
Pitch Report
Spinners are expected to get a decent amount of help from the surface. In IPL 2024, the average first-innings score was 170. However, CSK have a stronger spin-bowling line-up this season, and they would not mind playing on more responsive surfaces. In the first match, the ball was gripping, and batters were getting through some of their shots way too early.
It will be important for the batters to maximise the powerplay. Winning the toss and bowling first should be a good ploy, as the team that bats first will find it difficult to gauge the ideal target to set. Set batters will want to make sure that they do not throw their wickets away, as it won’t be easy for new batters to go after the bowling from the outset.
Also Check: CSK vs RCB Match Prediction, Match 8: Who will win today’s IPL match?
Head-to-Head Record
CSK are way ahead in the head-to-head record against RCB. The Men in Yellow have won 21 out of the 33 games that have been played between the two popular franchises. Meanwhile, RCB just have 11 wins in their kitty. Last year, both teams won their home games against each other.
Matches Played
33
Won by Chennai Super Kings
21
Won by Royal Challengers Bengaluru
11
Tied
00
No Result
01
First-ever Fixture
May 21, 2008
Most-recent Fixture
May 18, 2024
Predicted 11s
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, MS Dhoni (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Matheesha Pathirana, and Khaleel Ahmed.
Impact Substitute: Shreyas Gopal / Mukesh Choudhary.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (C), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.
Impact Substitute: Suyash Sharma / Rasikh Dar Salam.
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