NEW DELHI: Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings are set to face
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
in the opening clash of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the MA Chidambaram stadium on Friday.
Ahead of the mouth-watering clash, legendary MS Dhoni "handed" over the Chennai Super Kings captaincy to
Ruturaj Gaikwad
.
Gaikwad made his CSK debut in 2020 and has gone on to represent the team in 52 games.
Gaikwad, a stylish opener, had a memorable run last year, aggregating 590 runs in 16 games at an impressive strike rate of 147.50. His breakout year was 2021 when he amassed 635 runs in 16 games.
The 27-year-old from Maharashtra is not new to captaincy, having led the Indian team to the gold medal in the Asian Games last year. He has also led his domestic side Maharashtra.
As CSK are set to face RCB, who have failed to win a single IPL title since the inception of the tournament in 2008, TimesofIndia.com takes a look at the possible starting elevens of both the teams and prediction of match’s outcome:
CSK Predicted XI:
Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana.
RCB's Possible XI:
Faf du Plessis (c),
Virat Kohli
, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Mahipal Lomror, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Siraj, Karn Sharma, Akash Deep.
WHAT RECORDS SAY:
The two teams have clashed 31 times, with CSK holding the advantage. CSK have emerged victorious in 20 matches, while RCB have won 10, with one match ending in no result.
In their last five encounters, CSK have dominated with a 4-1 lead.
At Chepauk, the teams have crossed paths in eight matches, and it has been a stronghold for the home team. CSK have triumphed in seven matches against RCB at their home ground.
CSK have been a dominant force at home and will enter as strong favourites in the tournament opener.
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