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In the much-anticipated IPL 2025 face-off at Chepauk, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and elected to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The decision comes with an eye on the pitch conditions and potential dew later in the evening, which Gaikwad believes his team is better prepared to handle this time.
“Pitch looks slightly better than the last game,” said Ruturaj at the toss. “We’d like to be a little more aggressive with the ball. Pathirana comes in for Ellis.”
CSK made one change to their playing XI, bringing in Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana in place of Nathan Ellis. Meanwhile, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar confirmed that experienced Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar replaces Rasikh Salam in their lineup.
Virat Kohli and Philip Salt will open the innings for RCB, as they look to continue their strong start to the season. Kohli, who is just 55 runs away from becoming the first Indian to score 13,000 runs in T20 cricket, will be a key player to watch. On the other side, CSK icon MS Dhoni needs only two more sixes to become the first batter to smash 250 sixes for the franchise.
“Would have liked to bowl first but toss won’t make a big difference,” said Patidar. “The opening partnership in the last game was very impressive, and the fans make this contest even more thrilling.”
According to former CSK opener Matthew Hayden, the Chepauk pitch will offer a tough challenge for batters, with dry patches expected to slow down the ball. “Tonight is going to be a battle of attrition,” Hayden noted during the pitch report. He believes a score around 160 will be competitive on this surface.
Both teams are riding high after winning their opening games in IPL 2025 and will be eager to carry forward the momentum in this blockbuster encounter.
Playing XIs:
Chennai Super Kings (CSK): Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB): Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (C), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.
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