Match overview
Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Chennai Super Kings by 50 runs at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on 28 March 2025. RCB batted first after Chennai won the toss and chose to field, scoring 196/7. CSK's reply never got going: they lost 3 wickets in the powerplay for just 30 runs and finished on 146/8. RM Patidar was named Player of the Match. It was a convincing win for the visitors at a ground where CSK are typically formidable.
The match followed a familiar pattern at Chepauk. A batting side that clears the powerplay with momentum tends to build past the venue's 192-run first-innings average, and RCB did exactly that, scoring 56/1 in the first six overs. From there, their middle-overs phase yielded 82 more runs for 2 wickets, and the death overs added 58 at the cost of 4. The total was above average for the venue and, as it turned out, well beyond what the surface would offer in the second innings.
For CSK, the chase was effectively over by the end of the powerplay. Needing 197, they were already three down inside six overs with only 30 on the board. The middle overs offered some resistance, but 68 runs for 3 wickets between overs seven and fifteen left too much to do at the death.
Venue and conditions
M. A. Chidambaram Stadium has hosted 127 T20 matches. The average first-innings score is 192 and the average second-innings score is 177, a gap that points to conditions deteriorating across the match. The chase success rate of 46 per cent confirms that batting second here comes with genuine risk.
Powerplay scoring at the venue averages 43 runs, so RCB's 56-run powerplay was a meaningful over-performance. The average death-overs haul is 38 runs; RCB managed 58 in that phase, suggesting conditions held up well enough for stroke-play, at least in the first innings. CSK's powerplay of 30 runs from 3 wickets was some way below the venue norm and effectively decided the contest.
Teams winning the toss opt to field at Chepauk in only 41 per cent of T20 matches, which reflects a broad preference for batting first at this ground. Chennai went against that grain here and paid for it.
How to watch
IPL matches are available to UK viewers on Sky Sports Cricket. The full schedule, including UK kickoff times, is listed on the Sky Sports website. Subscribers can stream every match live through Sky Go or take out a day or monthly pass via NOW TV.
For fans travelling or without a subscription, the IPL's official app offers coverage in certain territories. UK start times for evening matches in Chennai typically fall in the early-to-mid afternoon, so most matches are accessible without a late night.
Recent form
Royal Challengers Bangalore arrived at Chepauk having beaten Kolkata Knight Riders in their most recent outing in 2025. Their 2024 season also included wins over Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings, with a loss to Rajasthan Royals the main blemish across that run.
Chennai Super Kings came in off a win against Mumbai Indians earlier in 2025, but their 2024 season was patchy: wins over Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings were offset by defeats against RCB and Gujarat Titans. The defeat here extends their recent run of vulnerability against RCB, who have now won three of their last four meetings. CSK's next fixture will give them an early opportunity to address the batting fragility this result exposed.
