In the first match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, the defending champions and five-time IPL winners, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai tonight, i.e., Friday, March 22 at 8 PM IST.
Another thrilling match between the two southern teams is in store. On the one hand, CSK are looking to strengthen their impressive trophy case, which already includes five IPL silverware. On the other hand, RCB will be looking to add more to their collection this year, after the Smriti Mandhana-led team shattered the franchise’s title jinx a few days ago by winning its maiden trophy.
Under the new leader, Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK will aim to achieve their sixth title this season and for the same, the unit has an impressive lineup that includes a wide variety of all-round players. Bolstered by Ravindra Jadeja‘s all-round mastery and Shivam Dube and Daryl Mitchell‘s explosive batting abilities, the team is well-equipped in all departments. Nevertheless, the Chennai team faces difficulties in the bowling department, especially in the dying overs where they lack an experienced player. Although Deepak Chahar is effective with the new ball, the Yellow Army is hindered by Matheesha Pathirana‘s unavailability due to a hamstring injury. At the top of the order too, skipper Gaikwad had a successful outing with Devon Conway last year, but, with the latter’s injury, the task falls upon the shoulder of another young Kiwi batter, Rachin Ravindra, who is set to make his debut this year.
On the other end, RCB, although keeping the nucleus of their roster from IPL 2023, have a better lineup on paper with strategic acquisitions. RCB, led by the dynamic Faf du Plessis and strengthened by the addition of players such as Cameron Green, will hope to capitalise on their sturdy middle order and a new speed battery that includes Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, and Lockie Ferguson, as well as seasoned player Mohammed Siraj. The return of Virat Kohli to the cricket field will also be exciting to watch. Even though RCB might have worked out how to fight spin on the batting front, it will be important to see how they allocate their limited resources for spin bowling. With Karn Sharma being the only seasoned full-time spinner in the team, Glenn Maxwell‘s participation with the ball will be crucial to RCB’s success. With spin-friendly conditions, the unit will be eager to close the deficit they created last year when they leaked runs in the middle overs at the fastest rate (9.62 RPO).
Head-to-head:
CSK lead the head-to-head fight against RCB. Both sides faced off on 31 occasions, with Chennai winning 20 and Bangalore winning 10.
The reigning champions prevailed by eight runs in the last meeting between the two teams in the prior edition.
Where-to-watch:
TV: Star Sports Network
OTT: JioCinema