TATA IPL 2025 Match 8 CSK vs RCB - In-Form Players, Venue Stats, Predictions and Match Insights - March 28

Cricket World Insights for today’s TATA IPL 2025 Match 8: CSK vs RCB, featuring analysis on in-form players, venue stats, and match preview, is hosted by Chandresh Narayanan, and guest presenters, and the show will deliver daily insights and expert commentary throughout the tournament.

Head to Head

Since 2020

• CSK WON – 6
• RCB WON – 3

Probable Playing XIIs (including Impact Player)

CSK: 1 Rachin Ravindra, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 4 Shivam Dube, 5 Sam Curran, 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Noor Ahmad, 11 Nathan Ellis, 12 Khaleel Ahmed

RCB: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Rajat Patidar,  5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma, 7 Tim David, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Rasikh Salam, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Suyash Sharma

Players To Watch Out For

Virat Kohli (RCB)
Kohli made a terrific start to his campaign in RCB’s IPL 2025 opener, smashing an unbeaten and match-winning 59 off just 36 deliveries against KKR. Kohli’s intent and his willingness to take risks stood out through the course of the innings. He was the highest run-getter in IPL 2024 with an aggregate of 741 runs at a strike rate of 154.7 and is the leading run-getter in IPL history with an aggregate of 8063 runs.


Krunal Pandya (RCB)
Krunal Pandya produced a Player of the Match performance in the tournament opener between RCB and KKR in Kolkata. He picked up three massive wickets of Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh in quick succession, halting the carnage initiated by the KKR top-order. It was his spell which brought RCB back into the match and restricted KKR to a total below 180! Krunal is an accurate line and length bowler whose variations in pace makes him a dangerous proposition in the middle overs. He has 79 wickets at an economy of 7.36 in the IPL. He will be crucial for RCB as they do not have any other big name in the spin department.

Rachin Ravindra (CSK)
Rachin Ravindra displayed his class with a match-winning 65 off 45 deliveries on a spin-friendly Chepauk wicket against Mumbai Indians. He assessed the conditions perfectly and did not panic even as CSK lost a few wickets in quick succession in the middle overs, ultimately guiding them to a comfortable four-wicket win. Ravindra scored 47 runs off just 29 deliveries at a strike rate of 162 against the MI spinners, showcasing his mastery against the slower bowlers.


Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK)
Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad rose to the occasion and hammered a brilliant 53 off just 26 deliveries in a defining 67-run stand with Rachin Ravindra for the second-wicket against Mumbai Indians. Gaikwad smashed 28 runs off just 13 deliveries against the pacers while also hammering the spinners for 25 off as many deliveries. Gaikwad has been the unsung hero for CSK consistently scoring big runs at the top of the order. He has been their leading run-getter since 2021.

MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk - Venue Stats 

• It is marginal advantage to the team chasing at Chepauk. They have won 15 and lost 13 of the 28 encounters at the venue since 2021.
• The average score batting first at Chepauk of 161 was amongst the lowest in IPL 2024. MI scored just 155 batting first in the first match at Chepauk this year.
• The average strike rate at Chepauk was 133 last season which was the lowest amongst all major venues of the IPL.
• The pitch at Chepauk has always assisted spin bowlers and thus it was not surprising to see the two Chinaman bowlers – Noor Ahmad and Vignesh Puthur – picking a total of 7 wickets in the MI-CSK encounter on Sunday.

Powerplay & Death Over Stats

• MS Dhoni has smashed 175 sixes in the last 4 overs – the most in IPL history!
• Ruturaj Gaikwad has hammered 1060 runs in the powerplay since 2021 – the third-most in the first 6 overs in this time-frame after Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli.
• Noor Ahmad has bagged 82 wickets in the middle-overs since 2023 in all T20 cricket – the third-highest only after Rashid Khan and Wanindu Hasaranga.
• Virat Kohli has a strike rate of 201 in the death overs in the IPL.
• Phil Salt has a strike rate of 178.3 in the powerplay in the IPL.

Cricket Match Predictions

Toss 
CSK have just won the toss 4 times in 15 matches since the start of the 2024 edition whereas RCB have won the toss 11 times in as many encounters. It seems the luck of the coin is with RCB.

Top Batters
Rajat Patidar (RCB)
Rachin Ravindra (CSK)


Top Bowlers
Josh Hazlewood (RCB)
Ravindra Jadeja (CSK)


Match Win Prediction
CSK have a great record at Chepauk having won 51 of their 72 matches at the venue. They have also dominated RCB at the MA Chidambaram Stadium at Chepauk with a 8-1 head to head record. Given the slowness of the wicket and the composition of the two units, CSK start favourites at home with a 60% chance of winning.

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