Old friends now face each other as Chennai Super Kings face Royal Challengers Bangalore in the high-octane opening game of IPL 2024. Ruturaj Gaikwad, the new captain of Chennai Super Kings would be standing with his old and dear friend Faf du Plessis at the toss on 22nd March evening as a new chapter starts for him.
Chennai Super Kings became the second team in the competition to be crowned 5-time champions alongside Mumbai Indians and would be vying for their sixth title. Royal challengers Bangalore, on the other hand, are yet to taste the success of keeping their hands on the elusive trophy and would be waiting to prove their prowess this year. On a lighter note, they would have some pressure now as their women team clinched the title in WPL 2024 last week.
Injuries are a common factor between the two sides and it would be a big task for the captains to pick a squad which can kickstart with a bang in the tournament opener. From CSK, Pathirana, one of the mainstays recently for the franchise, would be a doubt starter and his stay in the tournament would also be a question as the SLC want him to be fresh to play the T20 WC in June-July. From RCB, Topley would be a concern as he can pick injury any time and although replacements are available, there would be a mild shake in the strategies being plotted.
Probable XI:
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Rachin Ravindra*, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryll Mitchell*, Sameer Rizvi / Shaik Rasheed, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (WK), Mitchell Santner /Mustafizur Rahman*, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Maheesh Theekshana*
Impact Subs: Shivam Dube / Mukesh Choudhary
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Faf Du Plessis (C)*, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Cameron Green*, Glenn Maxwell*, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Mahipal Lomror / Mayank Dagar, Mohd Siraj, Lockie Ferguson / Alzarri Joseph*, Akash Deep, Vyshak Vijay Kumar / Karn Sharma
Impact Subs: Suyash Prabhudesai / Reece Topley
Weather and Pitch Report:
The slow wicket of the Chepauk makes batting difficult and the average first-innings score at the stadium revolves around 164. Spinners and pacers with variations get benefits at the venue. The Chennai pitch is expected to get slower as the tournament progresses. The team winning the toss is very likely to bat first.
The weather in Chennai on Friday will remain bright and sunny with light thunderstorms and rain on Mar 22. The humidity level will be as high as 75 per cent, and the temperature will hover around 31 degrees Celsius. The wind speed at the venue will be close to 18 km/h.
Stats Corner:
- Both teams have faced each other 31 times since the inception of the T20 league. While Chennai Super Kings have won for a staggering 20 times, the Challengers have managed victories for 10 times. One match was a draw.
- In the history of IPL, RCB has faced CSK at MA Chidambaram Stadium for eight times. Out of these, Dhoni-led squad has won seven times while RCB managed just one win.
- Most Runs for CSK vs RCB: MS Dhoni (751 runs) and Most Runs for RCB vs CSK: Virat Kohli (999 runs)
- Most wickets for CSK vs RCB: Ravindra Jadeja (18).
(Source: myKhel.com; ABP News, Financialexpress.com, WION.com)
Match Details:
Time: 7: 30 PM IST
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Live broadcast: Star Sports Network
Live streaming: JioCinema app
Predicted Dream XI:
