BENGALURU: The southern derby between RCB and CSK has long been one of the marquee encounters of the IPL. Of the 35 meetings between the two sides, CSK have won 21 but the narrative changed last season when RCB, en route to their first title, completed the double over the five-time champions, a thrilling two-run win at home after a 50-run win in Chennai.A change in results has reflected a change in fortune. RCB, rebuilt around performance and analytics, finally broke their title drought while CSK, in a transitional phase, have crashed out of the league stage in each of the last two seasons.On Sunday, the two sides meet again at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in contrasting circumstances. RCB come into the contest on the back of an emphatic win against SRH in their opener while Ruturaj Gaikwad-led CSK have come off the back of two consecutive defeats, including a five-wicket loss to SRH at home on Friday.There is also a gap in preparation. RCB have a week to recover and regroup. CSK will take to the field less than 48 hours after their previous outing.
On paper, RCB appear to be a more populated unit. Their top order looks strong, with Virat Kohli And completed by Full Salt In Farm Dev Dutt Padikal. The middle order, which includes captain Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David and Romario Shepherd, provides both stability and firepower.In the bowling department, New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy impressed on debut in the absence of Josh Hazlewood, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar offered steady support. RCB may look to add a left-arm seam option in Mangesh Yadav while spinners Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma will look to improve after a light start.CSK, once known as father’s arm, now features a young line-up supported by a few experienced names like Rutoraj Gaikwad and Shivam Dubey. However, his batting has not clicked consistently yet. Gaekwad will need to lead from the front while the likes of Ayush Mahathre – who scored a fluent 78 against SRH – will be expected to build on recent form. Young returns to a position where he announced his arrival last season with 94.However, the biggest concern for the visitors is their bowling. In two matches, CSK have conceded 338 runs in 30.5 overs. The new ball pairing of Khalil Ahmed and Matt Henry has been costly while the spin attack also lacks penetration. The absence of MS Dhoni, a central figure in the team, did not help.
