CSK vs RCB Match Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2025 match?

Only a few games into the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face arguably their biggest test. After their squad was assembled at the IPL 2025 auction, the biggest question anyone had was how the lineup will counter spin.

And as far as spin goes, few teams have mastered the art as well as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), whose tweakers bamboozled the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium not long ago. On Friday, March 28, the Men in Yellow will aim to dish out another iteration of a Chepauk spin choke against RCB, who countered Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy fairly comfortably in their opening-day win over the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Bengaluru have plenty of firepower and experience in their ranks, but there's a reason why they haven't beaten CSK at Chennai in an eternity. The complexion of their current roster - as well as previous ones - doesn't lend itself to batting on a turner, and despite their promising start to the campaign, we could see them judged on whether they're able to break their hoodoo at the venue.

Regardless of all such narratives, the Southern Derby never fails to deliver, with the playoff shootout between the two teams in IPL 2024 being fresh in memory.

CSK's squad for IPL 2025: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi, Shaik Rasheed, Deepak Hooda, Andre Siddarth, Devon Conway, MS Dhoni, Vansh Bedi, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, R Ashwin, Sam Curran, Rachin Ravindra, Vijay Shankar, Anshul Kamboj, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Noor Ahmad, Shreyas Gopal, Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh, Nathan Ellis.

RCB's squad for IPL 2025: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, Manoj Bhandage, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chikara, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Mohit Rathee, Suyash Sharma, Abhinandan Singh, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam, Nuwan Thushara, Lungi Ngidi.

Can CSK make it two out of two at home? Or will RCB make a massive statement early in IPL 2025?

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IPL 2025: RCB brace for spin test at Chepauk

Net Sessions - ICC Champions Trophy 2025 - Source: Getty

Noor Ahmad, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin have everything it takes to trouble the RCB batters. Head coach Stephen Fleming claimed that his team don't have much of a say when it comes to tailoring the pitch, but it's safe to assume that the TNCA will ensure a turner for this high-profile encounter.

Noor, Jadeja and Ashwin have favorable matchups against the RCB middle order, making the powerplay absolutely vital. Virat Kohli and Phil Salt seemed to be in stunning touch against KKR, and if they can take Khaleel Ahmed and Sam Curran to the cleaners, we could see Chennai being put under serious pressure.

However, Khaleel seemed to be in good nick in the last game, and hitting through the line is unlikely to be as easy as it was at the Eden Gardens. If Salt and Kohli fall early, the Bengaluru middle order will likely have too much on their plate.

CSK aren't bereft of concerns, though. The middle order looks threadbare, with Deepak Hooda and Curran not appearing particularly convincing. Josh Hazlewood's metronomic rhythm and bounce will probably trouble the out-of-sorts Rahul Tripathi, putting the onus on the trio of Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube to do the bulk of the run-scoring.

Moreover, the toss going in RCB's favor could tilt the scales entirely in their favor. Not only will dew be a tangible factor, but the CSK batting unit might not have the intent and shot-making ability needed to set a target effectively.

Despite all of those factors, however, it's hard to bet against Chennai at home, particularly after how their spinners dismantled MI. This isn't a one-sided contest at all, with RCB being in with a massive shout, but the Super Kings' spin trio should manage to get the job done.

Prediction: CSK to win Match 8 of IPL 2025.