IPL 2025 Updates: Dominant RCB thrash CSK by 50 runs

 Fri, 28 March 2025
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23:17

CSK suffer biggest defeat at home

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CSK 146-8 (20 ovs) vs RCB 196-7 | Scorecard

Krunal to bowl the final over. Dhoni defends the first ball on the off-side before the spinner bowls a bouncer as the CSK batter misses the pull shot.

Dhoni makes the CSK fans go up in cheer as he hammers Krunal over midwicket for a six.

He repeats the shot as he heaves the spinner for another huge six over the same region.

Krunal bowls full and wide as Dhoni offers no shot before he pulls the last ball to fine leg for a four.

A dominant performance from RCB as they hand CSK a 50-run thrashing. This is only the second victory at Chepauk, having lost won a match at the venue 17 years.

This is CSK's biggest defeat at home in the IPL.
23:12

Dominant RCB set for big win vs CSK

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CSK 130-8 (19 ovs) vs RCB 196-7 | Scorecard

Leggie Suyash back into the attack. Jadeja cuts the short wide ball past point for a boundary followed by a wide before he lofts the next straight down the ground for a six.

Singles off the last two balls as 14 runs come from the 18th over.

The match is out of CSK's reach with 76 needed from two overs.

Dhoni gives the crowd something to cheer about as he moves across and helps the short ball past short fine leg for a four.

Dhoni hammers the pull next ball for another boundary through midwicket and gets a single third ball.

Hazlewood strikes in his final over as Jadeja pulls the short ball straight to Salt at deep midwicket to be dismissed for 25 from 19 balls.

Noor Ahmad keeps out the last two balls as Hazlewood finishes with 3/21 in four overs.
22:59

CSK 7 down; RCB set for easy win

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CSK 107-7 (17 ovs) vs RCB 196-7 | Scorecard

Livingstone keeps chipping away at the wickets. Ashwin tries the lofted shot but ends up hitting it straight into the hands of the fielder at long-on for 11.

Dhoni walks in No 9 as the CSK fans greet him with a huge cheer.

He gets off the mark with two runs through square leg and keeps out the last two balls.

Livingstone finishes with good figures of 2/28 from his four overs.

Hazlewood, who bowled an incredible spell of 2/6 in two overs, comes back to bowl the 17th over.

Just two singles from four balls before Jadeja pulls the slower bouncer behind square on the leg side for a four followed by a dot.
22:52

CSK 7 down; RCB set for easy win

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CSK 99-7 (15.2 ovs) vs RCB 196-7 | Scorecard

Livingstone keeps chipping away at the wickets. Ashwin tries the lofted shot but ends up hitting it straight into the hands of the fielder at long-on for 11.
22:50

CSK 6 down; RCB set for easy win

Yash Dayal celebrates the wicket of Shivam Dube.
Yash Dayal celebrates the wicket of Shivam Dube.

CSK 98-6 (15 ovs) vs RCB 196-7 | Scorecard

Livingstone is back into the attack. Ashwin takes a single to long-off and Jadeja top edges the sweep for two runs.

Singles off the last four balls as Livingstone gives away seven runs in his third over.

Left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya comes into the attack, to bowl the 15th over.

Ashwin picks a single off the first ball before Jadeja plays a nice flick off his pads for two runs and then takes one.

CSK seem to be just going through the motion and looking to bat out their quota of 20 overs.

Ashwin plays a reverse scoop as he clears the fielder at short thirdman for a four.
22:42

Dayal leaves CSK in a mess!

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CSK 81-6 (13 ovs) vs RCB 196-7 | Scorecard

Dayal puts RCB on course for victory with a double strike in his third over. 

He strikes with the wicket of the well-set Ravindra, who goes hard after a length ball but only manages to drag it back on to his stumps off the pads.

Ravindra is bowled for 41 from 31 balls as CSK stumble to 75/5 in the 13th over.

Dube smashes a full toss from Dayal straight down the ground for a four before the bowler gets revenge next ball.

Dube ends up inside edging the length ball back on to his stumps to be bowled for 19.

Ravichandran Ashwin walks in at No 9 with Dhoni holding himself back. 
22:34

CSK 4 down; RCB in control


CSK 75-4 (12 ovs) vs RCB 196-7 | Scorecard

Pacer Dayal comes back into the attack. Ravindra takes a single first ball before RCB get a fielder at forward short leg under the helmet just a little deep than normal.

Dube slashes the short wide delivery as Hazlewood comes up with a superb effort to save the boundary.

Dube unable to get hold of the inside out lofted shot as he hits it on the bounce to sweeper cover for one.

Having conceded just four singles from five balls, Dayal struggled to close out the over. The slower ball went wrong as Ravindra pulled the short ball behind square on the leg side for a four.

Suyash Sharma continues to keep things tight, as just two runs come from the 12th over, including a bye.

Dube is trying hard to get the boundaries but Suyash kept it flat and didn't give him anything to loft.
22:23

CSK 4 down; RCB in control


CSK 65-4 (10 ovs) vs RCB 196-7 | Scorecard

Dube wasting no time to get going. He is quite brutal against spinners and Suyash Sharma gets a taste of his raw power as a flight delivery is launched straight down the ground for a six.

Two balls later, he pulls the leggie past the fielder at short fine leg for a four.

He powerfully pulls the fifth ball for a single and Ravindra takes one off the last ball.

CSK reeling on 65/4 in 10 overs, needing another 132 for victory in the remaining 10 overs.

Ravindra has looked good on 32 from 25 balls but will need support from the other end.

22:17

CSK 4 down; RCB in control


CSK 53-4 (9 ovs) vs RCB 196-7 | Scorecard

Spin from both ends. Suyash Sharma, who replaced Padikkal as the Impact Player, comes into the attack to bowl the eighth over.

He bowls an excellent first over, conceding just five runs as the asking rate keeps mounting for CSK, nearing the 13 mark.

CSK will need a few big overs soon to get back into the contest.

Ravindra plays a nice flick, hitting Livingstone through midwicket for a four to take CSK past the 50-run mark, in the ninth over.

Curran looks to break the shackles after a slow start. He attempts to heave Livingstone over the leg side but miscues it down the ground and is taken by Krunal Pandya at long-off.

Curran walks back after managing just eight from 13 balls as CSK slip to 52/4 in the ninth over.

CSK will need something special from their Impact Sub Shivam Dube.
22:09

Bhuvneshwar strikes; CSK in trouble

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CSK 40-3 (7 ovs) vs RCB 196-7 | Scorecard

Left-arm pacer Yash Dayal replaces Hazlewood, who bowled an excellent first spell of 2/6 in two overs.

CSK in rebuilding mode as they manage just four singles from the last over of Powerplay.

The Powerplay has gone horribly wrong for CSK, who are struggling on 30/3 in six overs.

Off-spinner Liam Livingstone comes into the attack. Curran picks one off the first ball before Ravindra clips the next off his pads for two runs.

Singles off the next two balls before Ravindra bottom edges the intended pull shot as it goes past the wicketkeeper for a four.

A single off the last ball makes it 10 runs from the over.
21:58

Bhuvneshwar strikes; CSK in trouble


CSK 26-3 (5 ovs) vs RCB 196-7 | Scorecard

Having made a good start, Bhuvneshwar will bowl his third over in the first spell.

The first ball is overpitched on the stumps as Ravindra plays a nice flick in the gap through midwicket for a four. He plays a similar shot next ball for two runs followed by a single.

Hooda's struggling knock finally comes to an end. He is beaten as he pushes away from the body but there seems to be a faint edge.

RCB take the review and the UltraEdge confirms the edge as the decision is overturned.

Hooda is given caught behind for four from nine balls as CSK slip to 26/3 in the fifth over.

Sam Curran walks in at No 5 with CSK in need of a big partnership to get back into the contest.
21:52

Hazlewood's double strike rocks CSK


CSK 18-2 (4 ovs) vs RCB 196-7 | Scorecard

Ravindra clips Bhuvneshwar off his pads for a single and Hooda is beaten as he pokes at one which moves away slightly to past the outside edge.

Hooda plays and misses again before he inside edges the fifth ball which narrowly misses the stumps and goes fine on the leg side for a four.

Hooda uses his feet to hit Bhuvneshwar but fails as he is beaten for the third time in the over.

Hazlewood continues as Ravindra slaps the first ball in the gap through the off-side for a four.

He tries the same shot next ball but this time he is beaten before taking a single to thirdman.

Hooda struggling to get going as he can't get a run off the last three balls, having scored just four off eight balls.

Hazlewood has excellent figures of 2/6 in two overs, with CSK struggling on 18/2 in four overs.
21:49

Hazlewood's double strike rocks CSK

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CSK 8-2 (2 ovs) vs RCB 196-7 | Scorecard

Rachin Ravindra and Rahul Tripathi are the openers for CSK, who will need a quickfire start in the Powerplay.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who makes his debut for RCB, starts off with the ball. Left-hander Ravindra is beaten as he pushes away from the body before he clips the next off his pads for a single.

Tripathi takes one to get off the mark and Ravindra punches the fifth ball to deep point for just a single.

Tripathi flashes hard at the last ball as he gets a thick outside edge which flies over the slip fielder for a four.

Josh Hazlewood from the other end. He strikes with the second ball of the over as Tripathi (5) miscues the pull shot courtesy of some extra bounce, spooning a simple catch to Salt at square leg.

Three balls later, the RCB pacer dealt CSK another huge blow, dismissing their captain Ruturaj Gaikwad for a three-ball duck.

Two wickets while conceding just a single as Hazlewood leaves CSK reeling on 8/2 in two overs.
21:18

Patidar's fifty powers RCB to 196

Rajat Patidar celebrates his half-century.
Rajat Patidar celebrates his half-century.

RCB 196-7 (20 ovs) vs CSK | Scorecard

Sam Curran to bowl the final over. Tim David can't get a run off the first two balls as Curran mixes his pace quite well.

However, he makes up for it as he despatches a full toss over fine leg for a six.

The next ball is a slower ball but David reads it early as he smashes it down the ground for another six.

David makes it a hat-trick of sixes as he flat bats the back of length delivery over long-on.

Curran switches to over the wicket line but ends up conceding a wide outside the off-stump.

But David is beaten last ball as Curran gets the back of length ball to angle across the right-hander.

RCB get 19 from the final over to finish on a healthy 196/7 in their 20 overs.

David played a vital came of 22 from eight balls to provide RCB with the final flourish after a few quick wickets.

Rajat Patidar kept RCB going in the middle overs, stroking 51 from 32 balls. He made most of the lifeline after he was put down by Deepak Hooda at long-off when his score was 17 off Ravindra Jadeja in the 13th over.

Noor did well for CSK with figures of 3/36 while a fit-again Pathirana claimed 2/36 and Khaleel was excellent with 1/28, which included 13 dot balls.
21:07

Pathirana's double strike rocks RCB

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RCB 177-7 (19 ovs) vs CSK | Scorecard

RCB lose another wicket in the form of skipper Patidar. He makes room to hit Pathirana on the off-side but skies the full delivery on the off-side and is caught by Curran.

Patidar walks back after a superb knock of 51 from 32 balls, with four fours and three sixes.

Pathirana strikes again in the over. Krunal Pandya mistimes the slower ball, holing out a simple catch to the fielder at mid-on to fall for a duck.

RCB losing their way as three wickets fall in the space of seven balls.

Bhuvneshwar Kunar can't get a run off the last two balls as Pathirana bowls an excellent over, taking two wickets while conceding just one run in the form of a wide.

He finishes with 2/36 as RCB are reduced to 177/7 in 19 overs.
21:01

Patidar slams 30-ball fifty to boost RCB

Rajat Patidar
Rajat Patidar

RCB 176-5 (18 ovs) vs CSK | Scorecard

Patidar continues to find the boundaries. Stand and deliver from the RCB captain as he smacks Pathirana wide of long-on for a six.

He is beaten next ball by the slower bouncer before the yorker goes down the leg side for a wide.

Jitesh again ends the over in style as he pulls Pathirana for a boundary to get 14 from the over.

Khaleel comes back into the attack. Patidar carves the first ball over point for a four to race to his fifty from 30 balls and gets a single off the next.

Jitesh, on 12, swings across the line but can't find the gap as Jadeja takes a sharp catch at deep midwicket.

Tim David slices the slower short ball, placing it behind point for a four. He throws his bat at the next pitched full but is beaten.

RCB take the review for the wide but the ball is inside the wide guideline as the umpire's decision stands.
20:51

Noor picks 3rd wicket; RCB 4 down

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RCB 153-4 (16 ovs) vs CSK | Scorecard

Noor Ahmad back into the attack. Patidar takes a single off the first ball before Livingstone slogs the next powerfully over midwicket for a six.

However, the bowler has the last laugh. Livingstone attempts the repeat the same shot but misses the ball completely to be bowled for 10.

Jitesh Sharma gets off the mark with a single and Patidar takes one off the next.

Jitesh plays a cracking shot, hitting a magnificent inside out lofted shot over the covers for a six.

15 runs from the over but Noor still manages to finish with 3/36 from his four overs.
20:44

Patidar keeps the runs coming for RCB


RCB 138-3 (15 ovs) vs CSK | Scorecard

Patidar not holding back against the spinner. He heaves Jadeja powerfully over midwicket for a six and smashes the next wide of long-off for a four.

Patidar gets a streaky boundary as he throws his bat at wide delivery but gets the thick outside edge past the wicketkeeper for a four.

Jadeja bowls a wide outside the off-stump and Patidar again edges the last ball to short thirdman for a dot.

Jadeja has struggled with the ball, conceding 37 from his three overs.

Pacer Khaleel comes back into the attack. The first ball swings into Liam Livingstone, who misses the clip as the ball goes past the leg stump.

Wicketkeeper Dhoni comes up with a fantastic stop, diving to his left to save some byes.

Livingstone mistimes the pull shot for a single to square leg and Patidar takes on to thirdman.

Livingstone is beaten as he looks to play the pull shot before he gets the next to deep midwicket for two runs. The England right-hander plays and misses again off the last ball, as Khaleel gives away just four runs in the 15th over.

RCB will need captain Patidar, who has made 36 from 23 balls, to bat till the end. They will look for a total around 180-190 mark.
20:34

Kohli falls for 31; RCB 3 down

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RCB 119-3 (13 ovs) vs CSK | Scorecard

Jadeja comes back into the attack. He is unlucky not to get the wicket of Patidar (17 from 11 balls) as Deepak Hooda puts down a simple catch at long-off.

He had all the time in the world to settle himself under the catch but somehow the ball managed to pop out of his hands before he could complete the easy offering.

Kohli lofts the next ball over the bowler's head for two runs followed by singles off the next two as Jadeja concedes seven off his second over.

Noor Ahmad is back into the attack. Patidar (19) gets another lifeline as he hits the spinner over the off-side with Rahul Tripathi making good ground to run in from the deep and puts in the dive but fails to get to the ball.

However, Ahmad strikes next ball as Kohli slog sweeps it straight to Rachin Ravindra at deep midwicket to perish after a sedate knock of 31 from 30 balls.

Patidar looks to swing across the line as he gets it off the thick outside edge but just short of the fielder at short thirdman.

Three runs and a wicket for Ahmad in his third over as CSK manage to pull back things, with 10 coming from the last two overs.
20:26

Kohli, Patidar take RCB past 100

Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli

RCB 109-2 (11 ovs) vs CSK | Scorecard

Ahmad, who picked a wicket in his first over, is back into the attack. Patidar tries the inside lofted shot but the ball falls short of the fielder at sweeper cover for a single.

Kohli again manages one before Patidar gets a run off the next.

Kohli tries the sweep but just for one to deep midwicket followed by a dot ball.

Patidar breaks the shackles as he smacks the last ball over midwicket for a six, to take RCB to 93/2 in 10 overs at the halfway mark.

Pathirana continues as he strikes Kohli on the helmet with a quick 142kmph bouncer after he is late on the pull shot.

The next ball as expected is again short and this time Kohli is waiting on the backfoot as he pulls it over fine leg for a six, to finally get one off the middle.

The next ball is flicked uppishly over the fielder at midwicket for a four to take RCB past the 100-run mark in the 11th over before he mistimes the heave for a single to long-on.

Patidar plays a cracking straight drive past the bowler for a boundary and takes a single off the last ball, to get 16 from the over.
20:17

Ashwin strikes; RCB lose 2nd wicket


RCB 83-2 (9 ovs) vs CSK | Scorecard

Pacer Matheesha Pathirana comes into the attack. Patidar misses the clip as the ball goes off his pads for a leg bye.

Kohli is beaten by the bounce as he misses the pull before he takes a single next ball.

Patidar also takes one followed by a wide down the leg side. Singles off the last two balls as Pathirana makes a tidy start, conceding just five runs from his first over.

Kohli is struggling on 14 from 20 balls, he has unable to find his timing and has managed just one boundary.
20:14

Ashwin strikes; RCB lose 2nd wicket

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RCB 77-2 (8 ovs) vs CSK | Scorecard

Ravindra Jadeja comes into the attack, to bowl the seventh over. Padikkal misses the sweep first ball but makes good connection next ball for a boundary through square leg.

He plays and misses again but playing another sweep shot for a four.

The left-hander uses his feet to loft Jadeja over long-on for a six and keeps strike with one from the last ball as 15 runs come from the seventh over.

Ashwin comes back into the attack, to bowl the eighth over. He checks RCB's charge with the key wicket of Padikkal, who plays an uppish drive but is caught by Gaikwad, who takes a sharp catch diving forward to take it inches from the ground.

Padikkal walks back after a cameo of 27 from 14 balls.

Rajat Patidar gets off the mark with a single from the last ball.
20:03

Dhoni magic gives CSK breakthrough!


RCB 56-1 (6 ovs) vs CSK | Scorecard

Devdutt Padikkal at No 3 for RCB as Curran continues. Kohli pulls the first ball for a single and Padikkal mistimes the lofted shot over the off-side for two runs to get off the mark.

Padikkal looking to make most of the last over of Powerplay as he heaves the length ball from Curran over square leg for a four.

Curran bowls a wide down the leg side before Padikkal takes a single off the last ball.

RCB are 56/1 in six overs, with Kohli struggling on 11 from 15 balls.
19:59

Dhoni magic gives CSK breakthrough!


RCB 45-1 (5 ovs) vs CSK | Scorecard

Just one over for Ashwin with the new ball before another left-armer Sam Curran is called into the attack.

Kohli down the track as he tries the pull shot which he mistimes but short of the fielder at midwicket, who dived forward but couldn't get to the catch.

He pulls the next ball, again the timing is not great, for a couple of runs to deep midwicket.

Kohli jumps down the track and looks to swing across the line but is beaten before he takes a leg bye.

Singles off the last two balls as Curran makes a tidy start, giving away five runs including a leg bye.

Spinner Noor Ahmad comes into the attack, to bowl the fifth over. Kohli pulls the first ball for a single followed by a wide.

Salt clips the second ball for one before Kohli sweeps the full toss in the gap at square leg for a four and then takes a single.

Dhoni produces another piece of magic with the gloves to get the wicket of Salt, who is beaten by the googly, and is stumped after a quickfire 32 from 16 balls.

That is a wonderful piece of glovework from Dhoni. Salt looks to play the inside out lofted shot over the off-side but is beaten by some sharp turn. His back foot is slightly in the air for a couple of seconds which is enough for Dhoni to whips off the bails.
19:47

Salt's attack gives RCB flying start


RCB 32-0 (3 ovs) vs CSK | Scorecard

Ravichandran Ashwin with the new ball from the other end. He starts with a short ball which Salt pulls for a six over square leg. The next ball is again short and this time the RCB opener punches it along the ground through the covers for a four.

He takes a single before Kohli swats the fifth ball to midwicket for one to get off the mark.

The last ball is down the leg side as Salt sweeps it past short fine leg for a four to get 16 from the over.

In the next over, Khaleel has a confident shout for leg before wicket turned down against Kohli.

He has a chat with Dhoni, who then asks captain Gaikwad to take the DRS.

Khaleel was infact celebrating while he appealed for leg before. But it turns out to be a poor review as the ball had pitched outside the line of leg stump.

That was a poor shot from Kohli as he looked to flick it across the line. He is beaten again trying to pull the short ball angled across.

He then gets off strike as he misses the clip but the ball goes off the thigh pads for a leg bye.

Salt continues to attack as he pulls Khaleel over midwicket for a four before he hits the last ball on the leg side for two runs.

RCB off to a flier as they race to 32 for no loss in three overs.
19:35

CSK opt to bowl vs RCB, Pathirana back


RCB 9-0 (1 ov) vs CSK | Scorecard

Virat Kohli walks out to a huge cheer from the CSK crowd as he opens the innings with Phil Salt.

Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed starts off with the ball for CSK. He makes a good start as Salt is beaten first ball as he throws his bat at a length ball slanted across.

He looks to swat the next ball on the leg side but misses and is hit on the body.

Khaleel bowls a sharp bouncer as Salt initially looks to pull before he bails out of the shot.

Salt gets lucky. He looks to whip the length ball across the line but gets it off the thick outside edge as it flies fine for a four.

The next ball is short and wide and this time Salt crashes it over point for a thumping boundary bang off the middle.

Salt is hurried into the pull shot last ball as he manages to push it on the leg side for one to get nine runs from the opening over.
19:14

CSK opt to bowl vs RCB, Pathirana back

Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni

RCB will welcome back the experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who plays his first match of IPL 2025. CSK also brought back their premier pacer Matheesha Pathirana, who is devasting with his ability to bowl lethal yorkers at the end.

Both RCB and CSK started off their campaign with confident victories.

Check out the playing XIs:

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (w/k), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed.

Impact Subs: Shivam Dube, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Vijay Shankar, Jamie Overton, Shaik Rasheed.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (captain), Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (w/k), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.

Impact Subs: Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar Salam, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh, Manoj Bhandage.
19:06

CSK opt to bowl vs RCB, Pathirana back


Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has won the toss and elected to bowl against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Chennai on Friday.

'I think it (pitch) will play better than the last game. So far there hasn't been any dew but we are better prepared for dew,' says Gaikwad at the toss.

The hosts have made one change as Sri Lankan Matheesha Pathirana replaces Nathan Ellis.

RCB have also made a change as Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back to boost their bowling attack. He will take the place of Rasikh Dar.
18:47

'It is not going to be 200 type wicket'


Pitch Report:

Matthew Hayden in his pitch report says that there are a lot of cracks on the pitch and the ball is likely to grip a little.

It is not going to be 200 type wicket. Tonight is going to be a battle of attrition.
18:27

Can RCB end 17-year Chennai jinx?

Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli

Welcome to the coverage of the IPL 2025 match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Chennai on Friday.

RCB's hopes of exorcising a 17-year jinx hinge on their experienced batting unit finding its range when they face familiar foes CSK.

RCB have beaten CSK only once at their home ground, the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, Chennai -- in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008. In the current RCB squad, only star batter Virat Kohli was part of that moment and now he will like to breach the CSK's fortress for a second time.

CSK will be aiming to make most of their home advantage on a pitch that offers considerable help to spinners. 

They have the ever-familiar Ravindra Jadeja and have brought back veteran Ravichandran Ashwin to the CSK fold after 10 years after buying him for Rs 9.75 crore at the mega auction.

CSK has also added Afghanistan left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad too to the squad, and the troika did well against fellow five-time champions Mumbai Indians a few days back.

The three spinners combined bowled 11 overs against Mumbai, conceding an appreciable 70 runs for five wickets. Ahmad was the best of the lot with impressive figures of 4/18.

The pitch is expected to retain its character for this match as well, and the RCB batters, led by Kohli, will have to lift their game several notches to outwit an experienced bowling unit.

RCB's batting unit will need to devise a strategy to score off CSK's three-pronged spin unit, and Kohli should be the one to lead that charge.
 
Negating spin has not always been a strong point of Kohli's batting but in the last two years or so he has showed massive improvement in that department. 

But then Kohli alone won't able to tackle a competent bowling machine, and he will require full-hearted support from the likes of Phil Salt, skipper Rajat Patidar, Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma.