The stage is set for a thrilling start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season as defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lock horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, March 22nd.
Last Season’s Dominance: CSK will be riding high on the momentum of their IPL 2023 victory. Their astute auction strategy further bolstered their squad with the acquisitions of Ravisrinivasan Ashwin (Rachi Ravindra) and New Zealand’s dynamic all-rounder Daryl Mitchell.
RCB Seeking Redemption: RCB, on the other hand, will be looking to avenge their defeat to CSK last season and break their IPL title drought. While their batting line-up boasts firepower, concerns linger around their bowling attack, a weakness that has plagued them in recent seasons.
Dhoni’s Final Hurrah?: All eyes will be on MS Dhoni, with speculations rife that this could be his last IPL season. Will CSK hand him a fitting farewell with another championship title?
CSK vs RCB Match Details:
| Match | Chennai Super Kings Vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, IPL 2024 |
| Venue | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Date & Time | Friday, March 22, 8:00 PM (IST) |
| Live Broadcast and Streaming Details | Star Sports Channels, Jio Cinema App and Website |
Pitch Report:
The Chepauk pitch displays wear and tear with a solid deck. As a result, it assists spinners as well as the pacers who have the variations at their disposal. Batters will have to fetch the runs from the relatively low bounce off the strip. On the weather front, there will be clear skies in Chennai on Friday evening, with temperatures hovering around 29 degrees. Humidity might be a factor for the teams as it does not seem to drop from 75 percent.
CSK vs RCB Head-to-Head Record
| Matches Played | 31 |
| Chennai Super Kings won | 20 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru Won | 10 |
| No Result | 01 |
| First Played | April 28, 2008 |
| Last Played | April 17, 2023 |
CSK vs RCB Probable Playing XIs
Chennai Super Kings:
Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c/wk), Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Mukesh Choudhary, Maheesh Theekshana.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru:
Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyashak, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammed Siraj, Karn Sharma.
Probable Best Players of the Match
Probable Best Batter:
Ruturaj Gaikwad holds the key for the Chennai Super Kings in the batting department. Coming in as an opener he can build a strong foundation for CSK as he has done in the previous seasons. The batter who has hit seven maximums in an over during a Vijay Hazare Trophy game, has always had an upper hand over uncapped less experienced Indian bowlers.
Probable Best Bowler:
Deepak Chahar has the ability to generate swing early on and provide some early breakthroughs for CSK. He is coming out a long rehab and will look to compensate for the time loss. Earlier seen as the death bowler, thanks to the acumen of MS Dhoni he has flourished in the power play as well.
