Match 52 of the 2025 Indian Premier League season brings us a clash between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Chennai Super Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on May 3.
For the game, here are our preview and predictions.
The Southern Derby will witness the two teams on the opposite ends of the table, with the Royal Challengers looking to complete the double over the Super Kings after picking up a historic win at Chepauk earlier in the season. RCB have begun peaking just at the right time as they look to finally clinch the IPL trophy.
As has been the case for the majority of their history, majority of RCB’s runs this season have come from the top order, with the team relying heavily on Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, and Rajat Patidar. What has been key and refreshing for them, though, is the boost they’ve received from their lower order, especially due to Krunal Pandya, who is in red-hot form with both bat and ball and has already bailed the team out on multiple occasions.
In their bowling department, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood have delivered time and again with the ball, while Pandya and Suyash Sharma have impressed as the main spinners.
On the other side, CSK have been going through a nightmare of a season. From losing their captain to injury to Chepauk no longer feeling like a stronghold, things could hardly get any worse for MS Dhoni and Co.
Even though the league stage is coming to an end, CSK have failed to settle upon a batting order, in particular at the top, with Sam Curran’s 88 against the Punjab Kings in their last game being one of the highlights of the season. Well out of the race for the playoffs, CSK have moved young Shaik Rasheed to the top of the order, with Dewald Brevis providing some runs in the middle. Shivam Dube has blown hot and cold, while Dhoni, well into his 40s, no longer seems to have his old magic.
Bowling has also been an issue for the five-time IPL winners. Despite Khaleel Ahmed and Noor Ahmad being among the top wicket-takers of the season, the CSK bowlers haven’t been able to bowl out their opponents even once this season, while they’ve conceded scores of 180+ five times.
It has not been the quintessential Chinnaswamy strip this season, though it still has a lot on offer for the batters as well as the quicks. While CSK have held the upper hand over their southern rivals over the years, it’s hard to see them push aside this well-oiled RCB unit.
Fantasy XI: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Paddikal, Shivam Dube, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Noor Ahmad
Venue: M Chinnaswamy, Bengaluru
Winners Prediction: Royal Challengers Bengaluru
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