IPL 2024 , CSK Vs RCB: CSK In the season opener take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru to start their title defense under their new skipper.

IPL 2024 , CSK Vs RCB: CSK In the season opener take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru to start their title 

A revitalized RCB will be taking on CSK, eager to change the story after its women's team broke the franchise's title curse by winning the Women's Premier League last week.

Every year at this time, Chennai, a seaside city, goes all yellow as fans eagerly anticipate seeing the fabled MS Dhoni before losing themselves in a joyful dream as the Men in Yellow touch down.

     So, the home audience will be thrilled to see the Year-old open the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium with a thrilling match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

The contest will also herald a new chapter in the storied history of CSK after Ruturaj Gaikwad was named captain of the team on match eve, bringing Dhoni’s role in the side under greater spotlight.

        Every year since he announced his retirement from international cricket in 2020, the Indian Premier League has looked to be a pilgrimage for the former captain of India, as he takes in the praise and admiration from all corners of the nation, while the question of "Until when?" looms large.

 Although Dhoni has become adept at brushing off the  question with a unique mix of slyness and cunning over the years, his emotional acknowledgement.                    after  Chennai SuperKings'(CSK)record-tying fifth title win last year and his resignation as captain on Thursday suggest this season may be his last.   

      

           A revitalized RCB will take on CSK first, eager to change the story after its women's team broke the franchise's title curse by winning the Women's Premier League last week. The team captained by Faf du Plessis will be eager to break through CSK's defenses for the first time since the 2008 season under the direction of recently hired coach Andy Flower, who has a distinguished background in franchise leagues throughout the world. Without the necessary players fit for the situation, it will have its work cut out for it trying to upset the most decorated squad at home (66 victories in 100th games).   

       

          Success in a tournament where resources are distributed fairly requires a consistent approach and asset optimization, which CSK has demonstrated. Its motto has been to strangle the opposition with spin, and the brains trust kept to it at the most recent auction, bringing spin-basher Daryl Mitchell and spin all-rounder Rachin Ravindra into the Kiwi cohort of the club.

  

 Pitch Report:

    

       On a pitch that will probably aid spin, RCB should be ready for an encore with Ravindra Jadeja and Maheesh Theekshana in the lineup. The reigning champion, though, will be concerned about the health and form of its hitters. The foundation of CSK's championship victory from the previous year was laid by Devon Conway's opening partnership with Ruturaj Gaikwad. The two scored 9.35 runs per over in the PowerPlay, second only to the Rajasthan Royals.

          

          Due to Conway's injury, fellow countryman Ravindra, who hasn't established himself as an opener in the shortest format, may be given the difficult task. Similarly, given Ajinkya Rahane's lackluster play and Shivam Dube's recent injury, Mitchell, who has only played in two league games, may find himself thrust into middle-order responsibilities.

           Hence, the pedagogical contributions made by Jadeja and Dhoni will hold double significance. The batting lineup will have some breathing room thanks to the return of Deepak Chahar from injury and Shardul Thakur to the CSK squad, but in the PowerPlay, the two players will be asked to inflict most of the damage with the ball.

           

          This season, Tushar Deshpande, Simarjeet Singh, and Mukesh Choudhary—three domestic pacers who can excel under Dhoni—continue to demonstrate why CSK has rarely relied on a world-class bowling unit. The Super Kings may start with three foreign players and make the most of Moeen Ali's impact player services because of India's depth in fast bowling. Still, with Matheesha Pathirana's absence due to injury, Mustafizur Rahman could be expected to start given his variations, which are specifically designed for the current circumstances.

CSK VS RCB SQUARD:

CSK Squard:      

Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Sameer Rizvi, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w), Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Maheesh Theekshana, Moeen Ali, Devon Conway, Mustafizur Rahman, Mitchell Santner, Tushar Deshpande, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Prashant Solanki, Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh, RS Hangargekar, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Aravelly Avanish

RCB Squard:       

Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis(c), Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik(w), Alzarri Joseph, Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Reece Topley, Tom Curran, Swapnil Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Lockie Ferguson, Mayank Dagar, Will Jacks, Suyash Prabhudessai, Anuj Rawat, Manoj Bhandage, Yash Dayal, Saurav Chauhan, Rajan Kumar, Himanshu Sharma