IPL 2025: RCB vs CSK Preview, Prediction, Starting XI and Where To Watch The Match LIVE

RCB vs CSK Preview: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will resume their IPL 2025 journey with a clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, May 3.

RCB vs CSK: Preview

RCB vs CSK Preview: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) taking on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Bengaluru remains one of the marquee fixtures in the IPL. However, this time, the usual electric atmosphere feels noticeably absent — largely due to CSK’s underwhelming season. When CSK arrived at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium for their training session ahead of Saturday’s match, barely any fans were present outside. It was a stark contrast to last year, when both sides of the street were packed and a large crowd had gathered inside the stadium just to catch a glimpse of the players at practice.

That said, the RCB-CSK clash still commands prime attention. Tickets have been sold out for weeks, and a full house is expected to witness MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli potentially face off for the last time. Yet, despite all the hype, the usual buzz seems to be missing.

Saturday’s clash feels like more than just a game; it’s a statement of intent. RCB, measured and rising, are pushing for a top-two finish and a smoother route to that elusive IPL title. Beating CSK at home to complete a league double — a feat they’ve never managed — would mark a significant milestone.

A year can transform everything in the IPL. Around this time last season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru sat near the bottom of the table, clinging to faint playoff hopes with just three wins from ten games. When asked if the team had shifted focus to 2025, Director of Cricket Mo Bobat insisted they would keep fighting until the numbers ruled them out. RCB then scripted one of the most dramatic turnarounds in league history — and fittingly, they sealed their playoff spot by edging out Chennai Super Kings.

Rain has battered Bengaluru for the past two days, and forecasts suggest thunderstorms could disrupt matchday as well.

RCB – Key Players and Performance

RCB vs CSK Preview: The mood and momentum felt entirely different in the RCB camp. With 14 points on the board, a home win would push Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 16 and significantly strengthen their playoff hopes and top-two ambitions. They began training with Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal sharing a net, Jitesh Sharma working in another, and Dinesh Karthik keeping a close eye on the action. Romario Shepherd batted in a third net, while a wrist-spinner with a style similar to Noor Ahmad bowled to Kohli and Padikkal.

Rain briefly interrupted RCB’s session. Although the players returned to resume practice, a second downpour forced them off again — this time for good. The skies didn’t clear for the next three hours, ending the session prematurely.

Fast forward to 2025, and the story has flipped. RCB, once the poster team for unpredictability, now operate with clarity, discipline, and well-defined roles. During their extended break before the season’s final stretch, they enjoyed the view from the top of the table. In that same period, CSK crashed out of playoff contention, undone by a chaotic campaign filled with constant team changes, poor form, injuries, and a lack of cohesion. This time, not even the numbers can offer them a way back.

But the shift goes deeper than just points — it’s about identity. RCB now boast batting firepower, a reliable bowling setup, a composed captain, and even a dominant home win anchored by their spinners. They’ve also revitalized Devdutt Padikkal, a player many had written off — something CSK once did so well. Ironically, while RCB play like the structured, confident CSK of the past, it’s CSK who now resemble the old RCB — constantly reshuffling, chasing rhythm, and already talking about next season.

On the RCB side, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma continues to build his reputation as an explosive middle-order option. He’s one of only five Indian batters to maintain a strike rate above 150 across 100 or more T20 innings — joining elite company that includes Suryakumar Yadav, Prithvi Shaw, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Abhishek Sharma.

CSK – Key Players and Performance

RCB vs CSK Preview: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have endured a dismal IPL 2025 campaign, losing eight out of ten matches and becoming the first team to bow out of the tournament. Their training session on the eve of the clash lacked the usual intensity. Shaikh Rasheed and Ayush Mhatre kicked things off with R Ashwin, Anshul Kamboj, and Noor Ahmad bowling in one net, while Vijay Shankar trained separately at another.

Ravindra Jadeja walked in for a hit about 30 minutes after the session began, but heavy rain halted proceedings for nearly 40 minutes. After the break, CSK picked up the tempo, with Sam Curran, Jadeja, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, and Dewald Brevis all getting valuable practice time. However, MS Dhoni, Shivam Dube, and Matheesha Pathirana were conspicuously absent from the session.

CSK, meanwhile, arrive as a shadow of their former selves. Yet even shadows can stretch under the right spotlight. With Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, and other young talents showing glimpses of the future, CSK might already be planting seeds for what comes next.

As always, MS Dhoni remains CSK’s towering figure in clashes against RCB. The skipper averages 40.6 and leads all players in runs against RCB in IPL history, with a tally of 894.

MS Dhoni thrives at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. In 13 IPL appearances at the venue, he averages a staggering 81.5 and strikes at 181.11 — numbers that reflect his mastery in Bengaluru.

Key Matchups and Strategy

RCB vs CSK Preview: Chennai Super Kings have struggled mightily against spin in IPL 2025. They own the lowest strike rate against spin (121) and have lost more wickets to it (31) than any other side. Their powerplay performance has been equally underwhelming, scoring at just 7.91 runs per over — the lowest rate among all teams this season.

RCB could look to exploit these weaknesses, especially through their in-form spinners. Noor Ahmad, who leads the IPL 2025 charts for wickets in the middle overs (7 to 16) with 13, has already proven his threat. He’s dismissed RCB finisher Tim David twice in three T20 innings, with David averaging just 4.00 against him.

On the other hand, Virat Kohli has looked nearly untouchable against spin this season. He has fallen to it only twice in eight innings, averaging a remarkable 109.5. CSK will need to find a way past him if they hope to contain RCB’s top order.

RCB vs CSK: Recent Form

Royal Challengers Bengaluru WWWLW(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Chennai Super Kings LLLWL

RCB vs CSK: Head-to-Head

CSK leads the head-to-head with a 21-12 record, but RCB has triumphed in the last two encounters, including a thrilling victory at this venue 12 months ago.

• Matches Played: 34
• Won by Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 12
• Won by Chennai Super Kings: 21
• Tied: 00
• No Result: 01
• First-ever Fixture: May 21, 2008
• Most-recent Fixture: March 28, 2025

RCB vs CSK: Pitch Report and Weather Conditions

Bengaluru has already seen one rain-shortened game, and Saturday’s forecast predicts more rain. Thunderstorms are expected from early to late evening, with temperatures around 30°C. The pitch has been covered for most of the past three days, potentially offering assistance to the bowlers throughout the match.

Light rain is likely, but it should only cause brief interruptions. This could favor teams chasing the target. RCB successfully defended a total last time, but in reality, Rajasthan Royals should have chased down the 205-run target.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings: Team News and Predicted XI

RCB – Team News

Phil Salt missed RCB’s previous match due to illness, and his availability for Saturday remains uncertain. If he is unavailable, Jacob Bethell could retain his place at the top of the order. RCB is unlikely to make any other changes, although Devdutt Padikkal might come in as the Impact Player in place of Suyash Sharma, or vice versa.

CSK have struggled against short-pitched deliveries in the PowerPlay this season, recording the lowest average (14.5) and losing the most wickets (12) to them. This is a key area for Josh Hazlewood, whose natural length has proven effective at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. In the reverse fixture at Chepauk, RCB’s quicks took 3 wickets for 12 runs from 19 short-pitched deliveries.

RCB – Predicted XI

1. Virat Kohli
2. Jacob Bethell
3. Devdutt Padikkal
4. Rajat Patidar (capt)
5. Jitesh Sharma (wk)
6. Romario Shepherd
7. Tim David
8. Krunal Pandya
9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
10. Josh Hazlewood
11. Yash Dayal
12. Suyash Sharma

CSK – Team News

CSK kept an unchanged side in their previous match and are unlikely to make changes unless they want to give other squad members a chance. In such a case, Vansh Bedi could replace Deepak Hooda. There are no injury concerns apart from those already ruled out for the tournament.

RCB’s spinners have been a crucial factor in their success, taking 18 wickets at an economy rate of 8.06 in wins, compared to just one wicket at 9.26 in losses. Rajasthan Royals learned the hard way last week by showing too little intent against Krunal and Suyash, and CSK will want to avoid falling into the same trap. The addition of Brevis strengthens the middle order, and three left-handers—Dube, Curran, and Jadeja—offer match-up advantages. However, their spin strike rates of 101.33, 114.47, and 115.38 this season suggest a lack of fluency, which RCB’s spinners could exploit once again.

CSK – Predicted XI

1. Shaik Rasheed
2. Ayush Mhatre
3. Sam Curran
4. Ravindra Jadeja
5. Dewald Brevis
6. Shivam Dube
7. Deepak Hooda/Vijay Shankar/Vansh Bedi
8. MS Dhoni (capt, wk)
9. Anshul Kamboj
10. Noor Ahmad
11. Khaleel Ahmed
12. Matheesha Pathirana

RCB vs CSK: Players To Watch Out For

Krunal Pandya (RCB)

While Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have garnered much of the attention, Krunal Pandya has quietly impressed this season. He has taken 13 wickets in IPL 2025, marking his best-ever tally in a single season. Notably, all his wickets have come in RCB victories. In the seven matches RCB have won, Krunal has claimed 13 wickets in 26 overs at an economy rate of 8.2. However, in the three losses, he has gone wicketless in six overs, with his economy rate rising to 10.5. He ranks second for the most wickets by a spinner this season, behind CSK’s Noor Ahmad, and has been RCB’s primary middle-overs bowler, maintaining an economy rate of 8.18.

Krunal enters the match on the back of a standout Player-of-the-Match performance against Delhi Capitals, where he was economical with the ball and scored an unbeaten 73 with the bat.

Khaleel Ahmad (CSK)

While CSK’s bowling has not been the highlight this season, Khaleel Ahmed has consistently delivered strong performances, particularly in the early overs. With nine powerplay wickets, he leads all bowlers in this regard, and his 106 dot balls is the highest among any bowler this season.

This is already Khaleel’s third-best season for dot balls, with four games still to play. He ranks second for wickets at CSK, behind Noor Ahmad, and had a memorable contest with Salt and Kohli during the earlier meeting between these two teams. Khaleel will look to maintain his good form as the season progresses.

RCB vs CSK: Prediction

Scenario 1

• Toss: Royal Challengers Bengaluru win the toss and bowl first
• Powerplay Score: 40-50
• Chennai Super Kings Total: 170-180
• Match Result: Royal Challengers Bengaluru win the match

Scenario 2

• Toss: Chennai Super Kings win the toss and bowl first
• Powerplay Score: 60-70
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru Total: 200-210
• Match Result: Royal Challengers Bengaluru win the match

When and Where To Watch Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings Riders LIVE? Broadcast and Streaming Details

The Indian Premier League 2025 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings is set to begin at 7:30 PM IST on Saturday, May 3, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network and will also be available for live streaming on JioHotstar for FREE.

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