Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood is not in the playing XI as Royal Challengers Bengaluru are put in to bat first by the Chennai Super Kings.
The purple cap contender is replaced by South African pacer Lungi Ngidi, who was formerly with CSK. RCB skipper Rajat Patidar offered no explanation for the change in the XI.
RCB’s playoff quest
The 5-time champions CSK are already out of contention for the Indian Premier League playoffs as they sit rick bottom on 4 points from their 10 games.
It is a crucial game for RCB, however, as a win today can seal their playoff spot as they have 14 points from their 10 matches so far in IPL 2025 and are third in the standings.
However, rain could play a factor in today’s game.
Leading up to today’s game, the ‘Garden City’ has experienced sporadic spells of rain of varying intensity over the last two days. According to multiple weather forecasts, there is a big chance of rain during the match with some reports saying upwards of 70% chance.
The Indian met department has predicted “rain or thundershowers would occur towards afternoon or evening” on Saturday.
Should the rain play spoilsport, RCB will have to wait until they face the Lucknow Super Giants, on May 9, to seal their playoff spot.
RCB vs CSK teams
RCB: Virat Kohli, Bethell, Padikkal, Patidar (capt), Romario Shepherd, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lungi Ngidi, Yash Dayal
Impact players: Rasikh Dar, Manoj Bhandage, Swapnil Singh, Suyash Sharma, Liam Livingstone
CSK: Ayush Mhatre, Shaikh Rasheed, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Hooda, MS Dhoni (capt and wk), Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana
Impact players: Shivam Dube, R Ashwin, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh
Stay updated on all the action from the IPL 2025. Check the IPL 2025 Schedule, track the latest IPL 2025 Points Table, and follow the top performers with the Orange Cap and Purple Cap.
