CSK Predicted Playing XI vs RCB, IPL 2026, Match 11

Chennai Super Kings - (Source: AP)

On Sunday, April 5, two heavyweights, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings, will lock horns against each other at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The five-time winners will play their 3rd game of the season, and RCB will be taking part in their second match.

RCB started the season with a high as they registered a six-wicket win against Sunrisers Hyderabad. CSK, on the other hand, have got off to their worst start in a long time as they have lost their first-two games. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side are missing MS Dhoni and wants their star senior-most star to return to the team ahead of the blockbuster clash.

Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Review

Talking about the two teams, they are struggling with injury concerns. For RCB, they are without Josh Hazlewood, who is still recovering from his injury. However, the defending champions didn’t miss him as Jacob Duffy took a three-wicket haul.

CSK, on the other hand, are missing their injured players. Dewald Brevis is out of action because of injury, and so is MS Dhoni. Further, Ruturaj Gaikwad’s captaincy has also come under the scanner for lacking ideas and vision. Therefore, the five-time winners are expected to make a few changes to their playing XI, and this article will shed light on CSK’s predicted playing XI against RCB.

CSK’s Likely Playing XI vs RCB- Match 11

Openers and Top Order (Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ayush Mhatre)

For Chennai Super Kings, Sanju Samson is yet to get going. The former RR captain has scored two single-digit scores so far. However, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming stated that Chetta is sweating hard in the nets and runs are just around the corner. Notably, Samson will continue to highlight the top-order.

Also Read: IPL 2026: GT vs RR Prediction, Match 9- Who Will Win Today?

Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad himself is under a lot of pressure. The captaincy is affecting his batting as a right-handed batter has scored just 34 runs in two matches. Further, his strike rate has also been in question.

There is a chatter that the five-time winners should demote Sanju Samson back to No. 3, but that seems difficult after 18-year-old Ayush Mhatre’s heroics at No.3. The prodigy played a brilliant 73-run knock, which means that Samson will continue to open the innings.

Middle Order and All Rounders (Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Sarfaraz Khan, Prashant Veer)

Dewald Brevis was officially ruled out for the first two matches for CSK in IPL 2026. Therefore, he is expected to return for the all-important RCB clash. Further, Shivam Dube will shift to No. 5 and Sarfaraz Khan to No.6, respectively.

CSK’s middle-order was on point against PBKS as Shivam Dube and Sarfaraz Khan played a quickfire 30+ run knock that helped the Men in Yellow put 200+ total on the board. Kartik Sharma is not likely to sit on the bench for the next match as he has struggled for runs in the first two matches.

Prashant Veer is having a curious case at the moment. He was asked to bat at No.7 against the Punjab Kings, but was not given a single over in the run chase, a decision that baffled many. However, he is expected to continue to be in the playing XI.

Bowlers (Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmed)

CSK are expected to bring Akeal Hosein to add an extra spinner to the team. Rahul Chahar is unlikely to feature for CSK in the upcoming match. Matt Henry was the only positive for the five-time winners in their last match as he took a couple of wickets.

Rest, Khaleel Ahmed and Noor Ahmad will retain their places in the team despite lackluster performances so far.

Chennai Super Kings Predicted Playing XI vs RCB- Match 11, IPL 2026

1. Sanju Samson
2. Ruturaj Gaikwad
3. Ayush Mhatre
4. Dewald Brevis
5. Shivam Dube
6. Sarfaraz Khan
7. Prashant Veer
8. Akeal Hosein
9. Matt Henry
10. Khaleel Ahmed
11. Noor Ahmad