IPL 2024: CSK vs RCB preview - Chennai take on Bengaluru in opener | Head-to-head, Team News, Playing XI

The wait is finally over. Get set for a 2-month roller coaster ride as IPL 2024 kicks off on March 22 in Chennai.

The first game features defending champions Chennai Super Kings taking on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday.

Even before the League started, CSK dropped a bombshell as MS Dhoni passed on the captaincy duties to Ruturaj Gaikwad just a day ahead of the opening match.

The craze for the cash-rich league in India was evident when thousands of fans flocked to the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to see Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis at the RCB unbox event.

Rohit Sharma playing under new skipper Hardik Pandya, the return of Rishabh Pant, and Gautam Gambhir returning to KKR, are a few mini-events which promise the 2024 season to be a blockbuster event

The biggest talking point of them all is that MS Dhoni may be setting up for his IPL swansong even though the former Indian captain has yet to make a formal announcement.

Emotions will run high on Friday as it will be a clash between the legendary Dhoni and India's heartthrob Virat Kohli.

The two may share a great bond off the field but on it, the battle will be fierce. While Dhoni would be eager to start what is likely to be his last season on a high, Virat would be eager to end RCB's IPL jinx under skipper Faf du Plessis.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

CSK enjoy a 20-10 head-to-head record against RCB in the IPL, with 1 match ending in no result. Chennai has also won 4 of the last 5 matches these two sides faced each other in the league.

WEATHER

According to AccuWeather, it will be extremely hot in Chennai on March 22. The average temperature will be around 30 degrees Celsius but the extremely humid climate will make it worse.

TEAM NEWS

Devon Conway and Matheesha Pathirana are injured and CSK's new recruit Mustafizur Rahman is also not fully fit.

RCB's new pacer Alzarri Joseph, who picked up 4 wickets in the intra-squad practice match, is likely to be added to the playing XI.

Probable playing XIs

CSK likely playing XI

Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Daryl Mitchell, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Mukesh Choudhary

RCB likely playing XI

Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Mahipal Lomror, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammed Siraj, Karn Sharm, Akash Deep.