Last Updated on 3 weeks by Charbel Coorey

The 52nd match of IPL 2025 the rematch of arguably the biggest rivalry in the league: RCB against CSK. Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the first time when these two sides met earlier this season. Everything has gone downhill for Chennai Super Kings since that game. Despite that, it promises to be an exciting contest.

RCB are sitting pretty in the top two with seven wins and three defeats. They’ve been in excellent form with almost everyone contributing when needed. They have won their last three games in a row. The batters have been in great form while the bowlers have also bowled really well till now. 

Jitesh Sharma and Rajat Patidar’s form is a concern for RCB, especially towards the business end of the tournament. RCB is looking very confident as a side and they’ll be eager to do a double on CSK. 

Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings are at the bottom of the points table with only two wins in 10 games. They are officially out of the playoff race. Nothing has gone right for CSK this season. They have now started giving opportunities to youngsters and players on the bench. The likes of Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre and Sam Curran have been the positives for them in the last couple of games. 

CSK bowlers started well but they’ve lost track in the last few matches and the conditions have also been challenging for them. Matheesha Pathirana has been a big disappointment, and so has Shivam Dube. CSK will look to win this game and settle the score with RCB in IPL 2025. 

In this article, we will look at the possible playing XIIs, Chinnaswamy pitch report, fantasy cricket tips and Dream11 prediction for the 51st match of IPL 2025.

IPL 2025 52nd Match: RCB vs CSK Probable Playing XIIs

RCB is expected to be unchanged. But they may bring Phil Salt back for Romario Shepherd, if fit.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 1. Jacob Bethell, 2. Virat Kohli, 3. Devdutt Padikkal, 4. Rajat Patidar, 5. Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6. Tim David, 7. Romario Shepherd, 8. Krunal Pandya, 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. Yash Dayal, 11. Josh Hazlewood 12. Suyash Sharma (Impact)

CSK may bring in Nathan Ellis or Jamie Overton for Matheesha Pathirana. Vansh Bedi can also make his IPL debut.

Chennai Super Kings: 1. Shaikh Rasheed, 2. Ayush Mhatre, 3. Sam Curran, 4. Dewald Brevis, 5. Shivam Dube, 6. Vansh Bedi/Deepak Hooda, 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. MS Dhoni (c & wk), 9. Nathan Ellis/Matheesha Pathirana, 10. Anshul Kamboj, 11. Noor Ahmad, 12. Khaleel Ahmed (Impact)

M Chinnaswamy Stadium Bengaluru Pitch Report and Weather

The pitch at Bengaluru has been a spicy one this season. There has been good pace, bounce and movement for the pacers, especially off the 6-8 meters length. The batters can also play their shots, trusting the wicket. Scores in the range of 180-200 are expected and teams are expected to prefer chasing. Batters and pace bowlers will enjoy playing on this wicket.

Rain is predicted for this game. Chinnaswamy has a world-class drainage system but expect a rain-interrupted encounter in this game. The temperature will be around 25 degrees Celsius at the start of the game.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for RCB vs CSK: Top Picks/Players to Watch

Note: Try to pick more batters and all-rounders if you are playing on Dream11. The new point system rewards the batters heavily.

Top Wicket-Keeper Picks: 

• MS Dhoni will be a top fantasy pick from the wicket-keeping section if Phil Salt is not playing for RCB. Dhoni has failed to get going in the last couple of games but he has a phenomenal record against RCB and he scored 30* off 16 in the first game against them.

Key batter picks: 

• Shivam Dube has 253 runs in 6 innings against RCB at an average of 63.20 and has struck at 155.20 including a couple of fifties. Dube hasn’t been at his best this season but he can be the game-changer in fantasy cricket for this match. 
• Virat Kohli has been in exceptional touch this season with 443 runs in 10 matches with six fifties in IPL 2025. Kohli last scored a fifty against CSK back in 2021 but he’s in terrific touch this season and will be a must in your fantasy teams.
• Dewald Brevis has batted well in the middle order for CSK. He has been very intentful with the bat and will be a top fantasy pick, especially against RCB’s spin attack.

Top all-rounder picks: 

• Ravindra Jadeja has been consistently batting at number four in the last few matches. He looked to attack the bowlers from the first ball in the last game. Jadeja loves playing against RCB and he should bowl his full quota. He will be a top fantasy pick. 
• Sam Curran scored a brilliant 88 in the last game against Punjab. He will bat at three for CSK and should bowl 2-3 overs. Curran has looked in good touch and will fetch points from both bat and ball.  

Key bowler picks: 

• Josh Hazlewood picked up three wickets in the last match against CSK. He will again trouble CSK’s top order and will be good C/VC option too for this match. Hazlewood has 18 wickets in 10 games this season and he’s currently the Purple Cap holder in IPL 2025. 
• Noor Ahmad has 15 wickets in 10 games this season. He picked up three wickets against RCB in their first meeting this season. Noor can trouble RCB’s middle order.
• Khaleel Ahmed should enjoy the conditions at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. He has 14 wickets to his name and he will fancy his chances against RCB’s top three in this match. 

Other Players to Consider for Your Fantasy Cricket Team 

• Ayush Mhatre will face some serious threats against Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar but he will help you win games one-sided if he gets going in this match. 
• Rajat Patidar has been in poor form this season, and especially in the last few games. He scored a fifty against CSK earlier and will be a key batter for his side in the middle overs.
• Jacob Bethell played a couple of solid shots in the last game. He looked in good touch and can score big on his day. Try him in the big leagues.
• Nathan Ellis (Bowling first, if plays)
• Jamie Overton (if plays)
• Devdutt Padikkal
• Yash Dayal

Other Matchups and Facts 

• Head to Head: Matches: 34, RCB 12, CSK 21 
• Virat Kohli vs Ravindra Jadeja: 148 deliveries, 161 runs, 3 dismissals.
• Virat Kohli vs Noor Ahmad: 44 deliveries, 63 runs, 2 dismissals.
• Devdutt Padikkal vs Khaleel Ahmed (T20s): 4 deliveries, 0 runs, 2 dismissals.

IPL 2025 52nd Match: RCB vs CSK Dream11 Prediction 

Option 1:

Option 2:

IPL 2025 52nd Match: RCB vs CSK Match Prediction: Who will win?

At the moment, RCB are the clear favourites to win this game. They are miles ahead of CSK on every front and it will take some effort from CSK to win this game. Royal Challengers Bengaluru to win this match.