Rain has forced a halt to play in the crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday.
The RCB innings was progressing well at 31 runs for no loss after three overs when rain intervened.
A washout would see CSK qualify for the playoffs, while victory would secure their place automatically. RCB, on the other hand, need a win by 18 runs if they score 200 or chase down the target with 11 balls to spare if CSK bats first.
The extent of the rain delay and its impact on the match duration are yet to be determined. The Chinnaswamy Stadium boasts a renowned drainage system, and a quick resumption of play is possible once the ground dries out.
Earlier, Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and decided to field against Faf du Plessis' Royal Challengers Bengaluru. CSK skipper Gaikwad confirmed that Mitchell Santner will replace Moeen Ali in their playing eleven against RCB. "We'll bowl first. The wicket looks good, conditions are overcast and we will look to make the most of the movement in the first 2-3 overs. It looks a bit damp, but we'll go with great intent. Every game in the IPL is must win, nothing changes for us, we'll take it ball-by-ball, and try and win the small processes. We've won some crucial games to go ahead of the pack in the middle. Just one change - Moeen isn't available, Santner replaces him," Gaikwad said.
Faf du Plessis said they are not thinking too much about the game and will take what comes in the match. "We would have fielded as well, but we put up a good score when we batted first last. Losing the toss isn't ideal, but we'll take a lot of confidence from the last 5 games. The set-up is great, last match before the knock-out stage, the scenario is nicely set-up and we're happy to play our last league game in front of our fans. Not thinking a lot, we'll take it as it comes and do our best," Du Plessis said.
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Daryl Mitchell, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (Wk), Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Tushar Deshpande, Simarjeet Singh, Maheesh Theekshana.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Faf du Plessis (C), Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Rajat Patidar, Cameron Green, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (Wk), Karn Sharma, Yash Dayal, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Siraj.
