Bangalore, April 5 – Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won the toss and chose to bowl first against defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their IPL 2026 match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.
RCB will be aiming to achieve a second consecutive win, while CSK will be eager to start strong in the points table. Both teams are fielding unchanged playing eleven for this important match.
"Obviously, it's a high-scoring ground. The pitch looks good, and there will be runs. We will try to restrict them as much as possible. MS is recovering slowly, and sometimes it takes time. If he's ready to play, he will be soon. The first game was disappointing, but our batting was much better in the second game. Everyone feels confident," said CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.
CSK have a 21-13 overall head-to-head record against RCB. However, when it comes to matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, RCB have a 6-5 advantage. "We wanted to bowl first, but the pitch looks challenging, so we are happy to bat. It's a fresh wicket. The boys played well in the last game, and we are looking to continue here. The way everyone played in the last game was tremendous. Everyone has a clear understanding of their role, and they are confident," said RCB captain Rajat Patidar.
In the pitch report, Ian Bishop and Faf du Plessis observed that one square boundary measures 61 meters, while the other side stands at 68m, and the straight boundary is 74m. They also opined that the surface is good for batting, and early wickets with the new ball could be decisive, although spinners may still have a role.
Playing XIs:
Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry, and Khaleel Ahmed
Impact Substitutes: Matthew Short, Akeal Hosein, Kartik Sharma, Ramakrishna Ghosh, and Gurjapneet Singh
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (captain), Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, and Jacob Duffy
Impact Substitutes: Suyash Sharma, Jacob Bethell, Rasikh Salam Dar, Kanishk Chouhan, and Venkatesh Iyer