CSK VS RCB Match Preview: All you need to know about pitch, teams and weather

IPL 2024 CSK VS RCB Match Preview

The most awaited  Indian Premier League's (IPL) will kick-start today between last year's winner Chennai Super Kings(CSK) and a revamped Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Chennai boasts a remarkable five-time championship record, whereas Bengaluru, although never having secured the trophy, maintains its status as a favorite, thanks to its lineup of star players. Notably, RCB recently opted to change its name from Bangalore to Bengaluru. Furthermore, Chennai has departed from its long-standing tradition by appointing Ruturaj Gaikwad as the new captain, replacing the iconic leadership of MS Dhoni.

Ahead of the IPL 2024 clash between CSK and RCB in Chennai, let's examine their head-to-head records, encompassing matches played, wins, losses, and draws.

When we analyse the statistics of matches between these two teams, CSK significantly leads the pack. Of the 31 encounters, CSK emerged victorious in 20, while RCB only managed 10 wins, with one match ending in a draw. On March 22, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face each other for the 32nd time.

TIMINGS OF THE MATCH

The CSK vs RCB IPL match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm IST on March 22 and will be televised on the Star Sports channel, with live streaming available on Jio Cinema.

BIG GUNS OF CSK & RCB

42-year-old Mahendra Singh Dhoni (MSD) returns to action post knee surgery, while CSK's spin-hitter Shivam Dube is fit after recovering from injury.

RCB's Virat Kohli returns  to centre stage after a two-month break, aiming for form ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup in June.

PITCH CONDITION

The inaugural match of IPL 2024 will take place on Chepauk's central wicket, renowned for its spin-friendly nature. With 76 IPL matches hosted here, the team batting first has clinched victory in over 60 percent, indicating the toss winner's advantage.

WEATHER

Regarding weather conditions, the Meteorological Department forecasts clear skies in Chennai today, with temperatures reaching a maximum of 31 to 30 degrees Celsius.

CSK FULL SQUAD

Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), MS Dhoni, Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, Avanish Rao Aravelly. Players injured/withdrawn: Devon Conway, Matheesha Pathirana.

CSK PREDICTED XI 

Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Mukesh Choudhary/Tushar Deshpande

RCB FULL SQUAD

Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh, Saurav Chauhan.

RCB PREDICTED XI

Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Anuj Rawat/Mahipal Lomror/Suyash Prabhudessai, Dinesh Karthik, Alzarri Joseph, Mayank Dagar, 10 Akash Deep/Vyshak Vijaykumar, Mohammed Siraj