Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will host Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 11th match of IPL 2026 on April 5 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Being the defending champions, RCB have started their title defense strongly with a spectacular chase against Sunrisers Hyderabad. They have also won their last three matches against CSK, making the momentum swing in their favor in this historic rivalry.
Five-time champions CSK have had a difficult start, facing consecutive defeats against Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings. Their bowling has proved costly, and the batting — especially that of newcomer Sanju Samson — has yet to find its rhythm. Samson, who is handling the wicketkeeping responsibilities in the absence of MS Dhoni, has scored low in the initial matches and everyone will be keeping an eye on him.
MS Dhoni is not available for this match (and probably for the first two weeks) as he has suffered a calf muscle strain and is currently undergoing rehabilitation. Dewald Brevis is also questionable due to injury. Ruturaj Gaikwad will remain the captain of CSK.
RCB’s probable XI: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (captain), Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh/Jacob Duffy, Suyyash Sharma (substitute for impact player).
CSK’s probable XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dubey, Karthik Sharma/Prashant Veer, Matt Henry, Noor Ahmed/Gurjapaneet Singh, Anshul Kamboj/Jamie Overton, Khaleel Ahmed, Rahul Chahar/Akeel Hossain.
The batsmen are expected to dominate this high-scoring venue, which will put pressure on the bowling of both the teams. RCB would like to continue their winning streak on their home ground, while CSK will be looking for their first win of this season with a better performance. The entire team includes important players like Tim David, Romario Shepherd (RCB) and Shivam Dubey, Matthew Short (CSK). The situation will become clearer with the toss and final playing XI.