RCB’s opportunity to fix their Chepauk spin woes

RCB batters – performance against pace vs spin in the IPL since 2023

Switch the roles around, and the balance would seem to shift even further in CSK’s favor, reinforcing their hopes of capitalizing on their early-season schedule. RCB’s spin attack comprises a left-arm spinner, a relatively inexperienced leg-spinner, and a part-time off-spinner. While Krunal Pandya’s defensive prowess and statistics against left-handers are exceptional, he might have to shoulder a significant workload against a CSK top-seven that includes four left-handers.

That being said, the hosts didn’t exactly dominate with the bat against Mumbai, despite chasing a modest target of 155. And an early-season visit to Chepauk might be the best scenario for RCB, with the pitches yet to feel the full impact of the summer heat. RCB have a few weaknesses to exploit while carrying an unusual sense of optimism into a fixture that has rarely gone in their favor.

What to expect:

A slightly fairer contest between bat and ball. In the season opener at this venue, spinners bowled 25 out of the 40 overs, including 14 of the 20 in the second innings, finding some, but not overwhelming, assistance. Teams will likely prefer to chase, as seven of the last 10 games here—including four of the last five—have been won by the side batting second.

Head to Head:

CSK 21 – 11 RCB. CSK also led 3-2 in games during the last cycle and have not lost to RCB at Chepauk since the inaugural IPL season in 2008.

Team News:

Chennai Super Kings

Injury & Availability:

Matheesha Pathirana was absent from the matchday squad against MI. Head coach Stephen Fleming mentioned that he was “progressing well” from an unspecified injury, but he remains doubtful for this game.

Tactics & Matchups:

Ravichandran Ashwin has a solid record against Rajat Patidar, RCB’s best batter against spin. The off-spinner has dismissed the RCB skipper twice in 25 deliveries while conceding runs at less than a run per ball.

Probable XII:

Rahul Tripathi, Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Shivam Dube, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Nathan Ellis, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Injury & Availability:

Bhuvneshwar Kumar missed the season opener due to an unspecified injury. Dinesh Karthik mentioned that Bhuvneshwar had a bowling session two days before the game and felt good. He also had a short stint in the nets on match eve, though his inclusion might be a last-minute decision given it’s still early in the tournament.

Tactics & Matchups:

Shivam Dube has an outstanding record against RCB, amassing 234 runs at a strike rate of 158.11. Teams have often deployed short-pitched deliveries against him. RCB had mixed results with this strategy last season—Alzarri Joseph wasn’t particularly effective in Chennai, but RCB managed to contain Dube in a high-scoring game at Chinnaswamy. In that match, Dube struggled against Lockie Ferguson and Cameron Green, managing just three runs off nine balls before eventually falling to a short delivery in a peculiar 15-ball knock for seven.

Probable XII:

Virat Kohli, Phil Salt (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma

Did you know?

• Virat Kohli attempted a sweep shot once every five balls he faced from spin against KKR.

• Each of RCB’s last four victories against CSK (since 2019) have come while defending a total.

• CSK had the worst average and scoring rate for opening batters in IPL 2024. The new opening duo of Rahul Tripathi and Rachin Ravindra also struggled to get going against MI.

What they said:

“His game against spin has always been strong. I think his development over the past 12 months has been exceptional. His last innings against RCB, interestingly, was one of his best. Since then, he has scored crucial runs for New Zealand in a very composed manner. His performance the other night was superb in terms of controlling the game’s tempo. He has power and cricketing intelligence—a great combination.”
— Stephen Fleming on Rachin Ravindra

“I believe that, right now, he is batting as well as he ever has. I just spoke to him a moment ago, and he mentioned working on one more shot. At this stage, his eagerness to add to his game shows his hunger and mindset. He just wants to keep improving and pushing the limits. He is a special player, and at this moment, I feel he is playing with as much confidence and skill as ever in the IPL.”
— Dinesh Karthik on Virat Kohli