Chennai Super Kings win the toss and choose to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
In the match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), captain MS Dhoni chose to bowl first on what he described as a “tacky” Chinnaswamy pitch. He believed that the conditions would improve for batting as the evening progressed.
According to RCB’s captain Rajat Patidar, it would have been their preference to also chase. As a result, they decided to make one substitution by giving Lungi Ngidi his first appearance for the franchise, replacing Josh Hazlewood. Patidar did not disclose whether Hazlewood was dealing with an injury or simply being given a break.
Related Post
Unfortunately, RCB will be facing a major challenge without Hazlewood, who currently holds the title of second-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2025. In just ten games, he has taken an impressive 18 strikes and maintained a decent economy rate of 8.44. To make matters worse, Phil Salt was unable to play due to sickness and was replaced by Jacob Bethell for the previous game.
The CSK squad remained the same, leaving players like Vansh Bedi and C Andre Siddarth still awaiting their first IPL appearances. According to Dhoni, the team’s focus is now on using their remaining four matches to lay a foundation for future success in IPL 2026. Unfortunately, their hopes of making it to the playoffs in IPL 2025 were crushed after a loss to Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Chepauk.
Should RCB emerge victorious over CSK this evening, they will surpass the 16-point mark and claim the top spot on the leaderboard. As it stands, they are ranked third, trailing behind MI and GT with matching 14-point scores.
RCB may consider utilizing Suyash Sharma, their wristspinner, as an Impact sub when they take the field in the second innings. Similarly, CSK is expected to substitute one of their bowlers with Shivam Dube as their Impact sub during their chase.
There is a potential for rain during the RCB vs CSK match in Bengaluru, as forecasted by the met department stating that “rain or thundershowers may appear in the afternoon or evening.” However, it was currently clear weather during the toss.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru includes players such as Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Romario Shepherd, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lungi Ngidi, and Yash Dayal.
Possible rephrasing:
The lineup for CSK includes Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Deepak Hooda, MS Dhoni as captain and wicketkeeper, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, and Matheesha Pathirana.
Possible rephrasing:
