KOLKATA, APRIL 5, 20206: Chennai Super Kings clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru tonight, 5th April, for the 11th match of the IPL 2026. The legendary rivals face off at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, at 7:30 PM
Five-time champions CSK started their campaign this season with back-to-back defeats, including one at their home ground. Before the season began, CSK suffered multiple player injuries, including their talismanic player, M.S. Dhoni, who is set to miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026 due to a calf injury. Both their batting and bowling departments need improvement to recover from this setback. On the other hand, last season’s title champions RCB started their campaign with a dominating victory against SRH at their home ground. They are stepping out to play after a seven-day gap for their second match. For RCB, Josh Hazlewood is also unavailable for today’s match, while for CSK, Dewald Brevis, who was expected to play, will also be unavailable for the game. The Southern Derby of the IPL has seen 36 matches played, with CSK winning 22 times and RCB 13 times.
CSK Squad:
Ruturaj Gaikwad, MS Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Urvil Patel, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Matthew William Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar, Spencer Johnson.
Predicted Playing XI (CSK):
Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Ayush Mhatre, Matt Short, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed.
RCB Squad:
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Jordan Cox, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Venkatesh Iyer, Swapnil Singh, Satvik Deswal, Mangesh Yedave, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanish Chohan, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Jacob Duffy, Nuwan Thushara, Abhinandan Singh.
Predicted Playing XI (RCB):
Virat Kohli and Phil Salt as openers, followed by Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Jacob Duffy.
The weather in Bengaluru is expected to be mostly clear to partly cloudy, with temperatures starting around 27–30°C and gradually cooling as the match progresses. Humidity levels will be moderate to high, increasing the likelihood of dew forming in the second innings. There is very little chance of rain, so a full match is expected. However, dew could make bowling difficult later, giving an advantage to the team chasing. The pitch at Chinnaswamy is expected to be flat and batting-friendly, with the ball coming nicely onto the bat. This makes it ideal for high scoring, with plenty of boundaries expected due to short dimensions and a fast outfield. Bowlers, especially spinners, may struggle, and with dew likely in the second innings, chasing becomes easier. Therefore, the team winning the toss will likely choose to bowl first, with a competitive score expected to be around 200 or more. It will be interesting to watch the rivalry unfold for the first time this season, see how RCB plays in great form, and how CSK bounces back in the league with this crucial match.
