CSK winless so far, RCB gunning for second victory:Bowling concern for Chennai, Yellow Army won 21 games over Bengaluru

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be hoping to pick up their first win of the season against arch-rivals Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The rivalry between RCB and CSK has come alive in recent years, even as CSK are ahead in the overall head-to-head record, it’s RCB who have been dominant in recent times. In their last match, Rajat Patidar’s RCB defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets, completing a 203-run chase with 26 balls left to play. Virat Kohli led the charge with a blistering 69* off 38 balls, supported by Devdutt Padikkal’s 61 off 26. On the other hand, the Chennai Super Kings have lost both their games so far this season. In the first match, they could only score 127 runs against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), losing by eight wickets. CSK’s batting finally clicked in the second match as they posted 209 runs against Punjab Kings (PBKS), thanks to Ayush Mhatre’s scintillating 73-run knock. But the bowlers let the Yellow Army down as Punjab chased down the required target with eight balls to spare. As CSK and RCB face off to write the latest chapter in this historic rivalry, Chennai will aim to pick up their first points of the season, while the defending champions will aim for their second consecutive win. Also read: ‘Am I an overseas player?’: Virat Kohli hits back at trolls claiming RCB playing with ‘5 overseas players’ CSK vs RCB: Match Details Match info: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, match 11 Date Time: 5 April 2026, match begins at 7:30 PM IST (toss at 7 PM) Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru How to watch: JioHotstar Star Sports Network How to follow: Follow the live coverage on the Bhaskar English app CSK vs RCB, head-to-head record in IPL Chennai Super Kings have played the Royal Challengers Bengaluru 35 times in the IPL. The Yellow Army hold the bragging rights with 21 wins, while the Bengaluru-based franchise have won only 13 times. One game between the two teams finished without a result. Rajat Patidar’s men won both the matches they played against CSK last year. CSK pin hopes on Ayush Mhatre; bowling remains a big concern Ayush Mhatre’s brilliant knock against Punjab showed that CSK are capable of putting up a 200-plus total, however, it won’t matter if they can’t defend it. They included Prashant Veer in the playing XI, but he didn’t get a chance to bowl. Both Anshul Kamboj and Noor Ahmad were guilty of bowling no-balls in crucial moments. The five-time winners need to get their act together and fast. RCB riding on Virat Kohli, Jacob Duffy’s heroics The defending champions put in a commanding performance in the tournament opener, with Virat scoring 69* while Jacob Duffy picked up 3 crucial wickets. Other players also chipped in with crucial contributions, and they will be hoping to continue the winning momentum. Virat Kohli’s showdown vs Noor Ahmad Virat Kohli has shown the good form that he is in, in IPL 2026. Against the Sunrisers, the RCB star showcased his full range of shots on both sides of the wicket and a highlight of his 38-ball 69 was a chipped shot down the ground, which flew for a six. He would look to continue his good form when he faces Noor Ahmad. The Afghanistan spinner, on his part, is yet to get off the mark in IPL 2026 in terms of wickets, but one cannot rule out the threat that he brings to the table. Last year, he was CSK’s highest wicket-taker, with 24 wickets in 14 matches. In terms of head-to-head showdowns, Kohli has had the edge over Noor in T20s, scoring 66 runs in 47 balls with a strike rate of 140.42. Noor has dismissed Kohli just twice. Sanju Samson vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who will come out on top? Sanju Samson has had a forgettable tournament so far, managing just 13 runs in two matches for his new team, CSK. He will look to bounce back to form against RCB and for that, it will be interesting to see how he tackles Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Bhuvneshwar stands just one wicket away from completing 200 IPL wickets and his battle against Samson is an absolute must-watch. In T20s, Samson has scored 120 runs off the 95 balls that he has faced against Bhuvneshwar. However, the strike rate has not been impressive (126.31) and to top it, Bhuvi has also dismissed the CSK star four times. M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, pitch report The Chinnaswamy Stadium is known for its flat pitch and shorter boundaries. There is light grass cover, so the ball comes onto the bat nicely. While the pitch is good for batting throughout, the dew factor in the evening often makes it easier to chase, prompting captains to bowl first. The average first-innings score is often in the 180–200 range, with 200+ scores expected to be competitive. However, RCB chased down SRH’s 202-run target with relative ease in their opening match. Bengaluru weather report Bengaluru’s weather on Sunday will be pleasant but slightly cloudy. There are 25% chances of rain during the day, but the weather is clear at night according to Accuweather. Temperature is expected to hover around 33 degrees in the day, and it will drop down to 21 degrees at night.