Welcome to ABP Live’s live coverage of the inaugural match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, Chennai, where the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will go head-to-head against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

The defending champions, CSK, are undergoing a notable transition as the legendary MS Dhoni hands over the captaincy reins to Ruturaj Gaikwad. This surprising decision, announced just a day before the new season commences, is perceived as a strategic manoeuvre aimed at facilitating a seamless transition, especially considering Dhoni’s anticipated retirement at the end of the season.

With five IPL titles already in their illustrious history, CSK stand on the brink of creating history by clinching a sixth title, a milestone yet to be achieved by any team, including the formidable Mumbai Indians, who also boast five trophies to their name.

RCB Look To Replicate WPL Success

In the meantime, RCB would aim to draw inspiration from their women’s team, who clinched their inaugural Women’s Premier League title recently under the leadership of Smriti Mandhana. In RCB’s lineup, skipper Faf du Plessis and star batsman Virat Kohli will spearhead the charge, complemented by Cameron Green’s versatile skills. The addition of Glenn Maxwell adds further depth to their batting lineup, while the fast bowling unit offers a blend of pace and expertise.

CSK’s Dominance Over RCB

In their head-to-head encounters, the two teams have clashed in 31 matches, with the yellow army, CSK, holding the upper hand. CSK have emerged victorious in 20 matches, while one match concluded with no result. On the other hand, RCB has secured 10 wins. Looking at their recent five encounters, Chennai hold a commanding 4-1 lead as well.

Squads For CSK vs RCB, IPL 2024:

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), MS Dhoni, Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Mukesh Choudhary, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Simarjeet Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman and Avanish Rao Aravelly.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh and Saurav Chauhan.