The Chennai Super Kings will play the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the eighth game of the 2025 Indian Premier League at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The game will be played on March 28 at 7:30 PM IST.

An enthralling face-off in the 2025 Indian Premier League between age-old rivals Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru is in the offing. On Friday, March 28, the contest will be hosted at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Both teams go into this match with confidence following victories on their first outings. Although CSK had the advantage in most past meetings, RCB seem to be better matched this time around. A thrilling affair is in store with each side seeking an early triumph in the tournament.

Match Preview

In the eighth match of the current 2025 Indian Premier League, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and home side Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will clash on Friday at the MA Chidambaram Cricket Stadium in Chepauk, Chennai. The two best teams have emerged victorious in their opening matches.

CSK will be looking to continue their dominance on home turf, as they did though with some adversity in their season opener against old foes Mumbai Indians. Further, Chennai RCB have dominated at Chepauk, never letting them win since 2008, spinners having complete control over affairs.

But the task would be easier for RCB if they can repeat their performance in the first match, when the opening pair of Phil Salt and Virat Kohli displayed a special fondness for one of the finest spinners of the time, Varun Chakravarthy. Captain Rajat Patidar also played an incredible cameo in his captaincy debut for Bengaluru.

It will be fascinating to see how RCB's foreign batsmen fare at Chepauk in one of the most spin-friendly decks. However, they could replace Liam Livingstone with Jacob Bethell to take advantage of the conditions effectively. Krunal Pandya picked up three crucial wickets, which put a damper on KKR's batting in the last game, and was named Player of the Match for it. Suyash Sharma had a memorable night with a dropped catch in the first over and 47 runs, but ended his campaign with the wicket of Andre Russell.

On the other hand, the home side will be well aware of their hard-fought victory, which could easily have been won. While Rachin Ravindra (65*) and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (53) looked composed, the confusion in the middle order with confusing batting decisions made the chase arduous.

In the bowling department, Chennai Super Kings will once again rely on Noor Ahmad's brilliance following his four-wicket haul in the last match against Mumbai Indians. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin will also want to be in the wicket column, as they are almost guaranteed to be economical. Khaleel Ahmed's opening burst (3/29) bodes well for CSK.

Pitch Report

The pitch at Chepauk is quite different from the other batting-friendly surfaces we've seen in IPL 2025. Spinners have a clear edge here, but batters can still unleash some big shots to push the team's total beyond 170 runs, which would make for a competitive game. Choosing to bat first could be a smart move in this scenario.

Toss Prediction

At Chepauk, batting first is generally the smarter choice unless the team ends up with a disappointing score. The pitch tends to slow down as the game progresses, making it tougher to chase down totals later on.

Weather Report

With only a 5% chance of play being suspended, we don’t anticipate the weather causing any major disruptions during the match. The temperature is expected to reach a high of 32°C and a low of 28°C.

Head to Head

The Chennai Super Kings really took charge against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, winning 22-11 in this match. Last season, these two teams faced off twice and ended up sharing the points.

Venue Details

Chepauk's average first innings score sits at 159. In the opening match of IPL 2025 held at this venue, MI managed to score 155-9 after batting first, but CSK chased that down in just 19.1 overs, finishing with four wickets to spare. As usual, we can expect a slow pitch that will favor the spinners. The team batting first should ideally target a score between 170 and 180 to feel secure.

Match Prediction

Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have had some thrilling encounters in the past. Just last year, RCB knocked out CSK in their final group match to clinch a playoff spot. This season, they seem more refined and are riding high on their opening win against KKR. However, Chepauk has been a fortress for CSK, with only one loss to RCB in nine matches played here. The pitch complements their playing style, giving them a distinct edge. It’s bound to be a fiercely contested match, but CSK's strong home record should tip the scales in their favor.

We’re backing the Chennai Super Kings to take the win in this matchup.

Betting Tips

Both teams kicked off the season with a win, and CSK is always a formidable opponent when playing at home. Still, we're putting our faith in the underdogs this time and rooting for RCB. They seem to have finally put together a solid team with a dependable bowling lineup. Their batting looks strong too, so they might just catch the hosts off guard. Currently, CSK has a win percentage of 54% against RCB.

Bet on CSK.

Probable Playing XI

Chennai Super Kings Playing XI

Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, MS Dhoni (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Matheesha Pathirana, and Khaleel Ahmed.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Playing XI

Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (C), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.

Top Fantasy Picks Dream11 Prediction

Chennai Super Kings Key Players

Ruturaj Gaikwad maintained his good show from last season as well, scoring an outstanding half-century in the first match against Mumbai Indians. Hence, he is our pick for the next match.

Noor Ahmad, the emerging cricketer, picked up four wickets in the previous match. The Afghan bowler will try to maintain his good show in this match.

Rachin Ravindra, the superstar batsman of CSK, smashed an amazing 65 runs in the previous game and contributed significantly to CSK's triumph in this saga.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Key Players

Phil Salt played a match-winning innings against his old side, Kolkata Knight Riders, when he scored 56 runs of 31 deliveries, with nine fours and two sixes.

Virat Kohli was spectacular for RCB in the last season, where he scored 741 runs. Against KKR, he performed well with a half-century in the first game and took his team across the line. Hence, he is our pick to play the next game.

Rajat Patidar The RCB captain was also a late cameo guest in the previous thriller with a key 34 runs. The marquee batsman can again prove himself a match-winner under conditions that offer turn.".