IPL 2023 RCB vs CSK Preview - Injury hit Super Kings looking to score big in Bangalore

Key match stats

Pitch Stats – M Chinnaswamy Stadium

Average first innings score: 170
Average first innings winning score: 188
Average powerplay score: 46
Win % batting 1st vs batting 2nd: 40% / 55%

Team form RCB vs CSK

RCB: WLLW
CSK: LWWL

Recent meetings: IPL 2022 - RCB won 13 runs, CSK won by 23 runs

Preview RCB vs CSK

RCB overcame a disappointing batting display in their last match against Delhi to record a much needed victory.

Royal Challengers game plan with the bat is very much the same as last season with the openers looking to score at a relatively conservative rate in the powerplay but in doing so they are able to conserve wickets for later in the game. That tactic seems to suite them at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium where the ball can nip around a bit in the early stages before the scoring opportunities increase as the match goes on.

And of course it's not just with the bat that those conditions are in RCB's favour at home. With ball in hand, they've been excellent at extracting whatever movement is on offer during the first few overs and taking crucial powerplay wickets.

Statistic	RCB performance	Rank in IPL 2023
Average wickets lost in the powerplay	0.8	1st
Death overs run rate	11.4	3rd
Total wickets taken in the powerplay	12	1st
Bowling economy in the powerplay	6.0	1st

RCB key performance indicators from IPL 2023

The one area of concern for RCB is that their lower middle order hasn't really fired yet, meaning they are very dependent on one of their top 4 to bat through the overs and accelerate their scoring at the end of the innings. After Maxwell was out to the first ball of the 15th over against the Capitals, RCB could only muster 42 runs from their final 6 overs. Against a very poor Delhi side that didn't cost them but a score of 174 on this pitch would be well within the range of CSK.

CSK come into this match facing something of an injury crisis. Ben Stokes is unlikely to play any further matches until at least the end of the month while it appears that CSK will be without Deepak Chahar and Sisanda Magala for at least this game and possibly the next 1 or 2 fixtures as well. MS Dhoni has a knee injury but is expected to continue anyway.

Given the injuries to fast bowlers already sustained by CSK that does leave them a little light going into this game in Bangalore and within the context of this pitch in particular puts them at a major disadvantage. We've already noted that RCB's bowlers have done well to extract early movement during the powerplay here, while conversely spinners have had a significantly lower impact on games here in IPL 2023.Of the 10 venues used in IPL 2023 so far, the M Chinnaswamy has provided slower bowlers with the worse average and economy to date.

Statistic	M Chinnaswamy pitch IPL 2023	IPL 2023 rank
Pace bowling average	28.4	4th
Pace bowling strike rate	20.4	5th
Pace bowling economy	8.4	3rd
Spin bowling average	37.9	10th
Spin bowling strike rate	23.9	6th
Spin bowling economy	9.5	10th

M Chinnaswamy pitch stats for bowling IPL 2023 relative to the other 9 stadiums used this season

All in all that means that a CSK side that can usually field 3 or 4 spin options may have to drastically rethink the balance of their side albeit that they are struggling to find fit players who can come in to do so.

RCB vs CSK head to head

CSK bowling vs RCB batting

It was noticeable that the Capitals choose to open the bowling with Axar Patel in their recent game against RCB while also bowling Lalit Yadav in the powerplay. To some extent that tactic makes sense against 2 right-handed batsmen both of whom favour scoring when pace is on the ball.

Kohli and du Plessis combined powerplay batting stats against spin in IPL 2023

On the flip side, it's quite a defensive measure particularly on a wicket where we have seen seamers do early damage (the 2 wickets that RCB did lose to spin early on were on a turning Eden Gardens pitch). With CSK's aforementioned injury crisis, they may have little choice but to use the likes of Thekshana, Jadeja or Moeen Ali while the field restrictions are in place.

CSK will also want to hold back at least Ravi Jadeja for when Glenn Maxwell comes to the crease. The left-armer has dismissed Maxwell an incredible 7 times in previous T20 encounters. Within the context of the players featuring in IPL 2023, only Sunil Narine vs Rohit Sharma has produced more wickets (8) although that has come from 162 balls whereas Jadeja has claimed Maxwell's wicket with significantly more ease.

Ravi Jadeja T20 head to head vs Glenn Maxwell

The introduction of Magala to the CSK team had significantly helped arrest some of the fast scoring that teams were achieving towards the back of innings vs CSK. The South African has bowled 2 death overs and taken 1 for 9! Meanwhile, prior to his injury, Deepak Chahar had also been CSK's go to seamer at the death.

CSK death bowling stats for seamers without Magala and Deepak Chahar

I would imagine that we'll see either Pretorius or Matheesha Pathirana come into the side to help bolster Chennai's options during that part of the game but they will be concerned with how freely opposition have scored off the seamers they currently do have fit towards the end of the innings.

RCB bowling vs CSK batting

Wayne Parnell will hope to continue his good form since coming in as late replacement for RCB in this year's IPL. The South African has taken 4 for 69 in his 8 overs to date and has a good head to head record against CSK's top order.

Wayne Parnell T20 head to head against CSK's top order (Gaikwad, Conway, Rahane and Moeen)

MS Dhoni was very critical of the way his batsmen went about things in their defeat to Rajasthan so expect a reaction during the middle overs from this strong CSK batting line-up who do enjoy playing here if their past stats are anything to go by.

Batsman	Ave at the M Chinnaswamy	Strike rate at the M Chinnaswamy
MM Ali	35.0	170.7
MS Dhoni	92.6	180.9
AT Rayudu	47.5	127.9
AM Rahane	56.2	149.5

CSK batsmen batting records at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium

I've already noted that RCB do have issues containing sides in the middle overs despite their dominance in the powerplay. Shivam Dube scored a brilliant 95 not out from 46 balls against RCB last year, dishing out punishment to the likes of Hasaranga and Shahbaz Ahmed who were also expensive against DC at the weekend.

Meanwhile at the death, Ravi Jadeja has taken a particular liking to Harshal Patel in previous T20 meetings.

Harshal Patel T20 head to head vs Ravi Jadeja

All in all, CSK will feel that they have the fire power in their batting line-up to score the necessary runs for victory. The real question is whether they have enough fit bowlers to limit RCB?

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All stats used in this blog are from my own databases which are freely accessible below
IPL head to head player stats
IPL player stats by venue
IPL stadium statistics.
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