The Royal Challengers Bengaluru made an explosive start, amassing 91 runs in just 10 overs against the Chennai Super Kings. After winning the toss, CSK opted to bowl first in Bengaluru.
RCB’s opening duo, Virat Kohli and Phil Salt, set the tone early by aggressively targeting the CSK bowlers during the powerplay. Kohli, who was initially dropped by Shivam Dube at mid-on, was eventually dismissed for 28 runs off 18 balls, caught by Dube again at long-on off Anshul Kamboj’s delivery.
Following Kohli’s exit, Salt took charge of the scoring, effectively targeting the CSK pacers. By the end of the first 10 overs, he had scored 45 runs, helping RCB establish a solid position at 91 for the loss of just one wicket.
Anshul Kamboj was the standout bowler for CSK, taking the crucial wicket of Kohli. Now, the responsibility falls on Noor Ahmed and Jamie Overton to rein in RCB’s scoring rate.
With Rajat Patidar, Tim David, and Jitesh Sharma still waiting in the wings, RCB is aiming for a substantial total. The hosts are riding high on confidence after successfully chasing down over 200 runs in their previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
On the other hand, CSK enters this match having lost their first two fixtures in the IPL. Led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, they will look to Ayush Mhatre to maintain his form and hope for a solid contribution from Sanju Samson as they approach the run chase. In their last seven encounters, RCB has won four times, while CSK has claimed three victories. Notably, RCB has triumphed in their last three meetings against their fierce rivals.
Confirmed playing XI for RCB and CSK:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy
Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed