NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) face an uphill battle as they look to end a 17-year winless streak against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday.
RCB have only managed a single victory at Chepauk in IPL history, a 14-run win on May 21, 2008, during the tournament's inaugural season. Since then, CSK have dominated, winning eight out of eight encounters at the venue.
Also see: CSK vs RCB Live Score
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STATS: RCB vs CKS at Chepauk
2008 - Won by 14 runs2010 - Lost by 5 wickets 2011 - Lost by 21 runs2011 - Lost by 58 runs2012 - Lost by 5 wickets2013 - Lost by 4 wickets2015 - Lost by 24 runs2019 - Lost by 7 wickets2024 - Lost by 6 wickets
Since RCB's win in 2008, CSK went on to win the IPL title a record five times, whereas RCB are still searching for their first title. So their Chepauk record almost reflected the two teams fortune in the tournament.
Chepauk’s spin-friendly conditions have consistently played to CSK’s advantage, and this season is no different. The return of Ravichandran Ashwin strengthens their bowling attack, complementing Ravindra Jadeja and Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad. The trio demonstrated their effectiveness against Mumbai Indians, restricting them to 70 for five in 11 overs.
RCB’s batting lineup, led by Virat Kohli, will need to counter CSK’s spin threat. While Kohli has improved against spin, using sweeps and slog sweeps more effectively, he will require support from Phil Salt, Krunal Pandya and Tim David.
With history against them, RCB must deliver an exceptional performance to overcome their Chepauk curse.
