Key Points

Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni won the toss and chose to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a strategic move. The match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium sees Lungi Ngidi replacing Josh Hazlewood in CSK's lineup. Dhoni emphasized the importance of exploring player roles and making the most of the remaining matches. Both teams are looking to end their IPL 2025 campaign on a strong note.

Key Points: Dhoni's CSK Bowl First as Ngidi Replaces Hazlewood in IPL Clash

  • CSK experiments with team composition in final IPL 2025 matches
  • Dhoni focuses on player roles for future strategy
  • RCB aims to maintain competitive performance
  • M Chinnaswamy Stadium set for high-scoring encounter
2 min read

IPL 2025: Ngidi replaces Hazlewood as CSK opt to bowl first vs RCB

MS Dhoni opts to bowl against RCB in crucial IPL 2025 match, making strategic changes with Lungi Ngidi stepping in

IPL 2025: Ngidi replaces Hazlewood as CSK opt to bowl first vs RCB
"We want to make the most of the last few games we have got - MS Dhoni, CSK Captain"

Bengaluru, May 3

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won the toss and elected to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in match 52 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.

Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni said, "We are looking to bowl first. We want to make the most of the last few games we have got. Try to look into next year and which individual will fit into what role. Yes we want to win games but getting the most of the four games is important.

“ It seems tacky, (pitch) must have been under covers for quite some time and other than that it is a venue where scoring runs is easy. It is a high-scoring venue and after the initial start it will be quite good to bat on. It is important to express but the batters need to play to their strengths, if you are a bowler don't think what if the execution is not right, make a plan and bowl with full confidence. Same team."

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who are without their star pacer Josh Hazlewood, captain Rajat Patidar said, "We would have fielded as well. But the wicket will not change that much. We will try to put a good total on the board and keep them under pressure. Everyone is in a good frame of mind and doing their roles, as a captain I am very confident in my boys. Till now many players have performed for the team and that is a good sign. We have 4 games and we will try our best in all the games."

Playing XIs:

Chennai Super Kings: Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Deepak Hooda, MS Dhoni(w/c), Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Matheesha Pathirana

Impact Substitutes: Shivam Dube, R Ashwin, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lungi Ngidi, Yash Dayal

Impact Substitutes: Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar, Manoj Bhandage, Liam Livingstone, Swapnil Singh

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Smart move by Dhoni to bowl first! Chinnaswamy is a batting paradise and chasing is always better here. Ngidi replacing Hazlewood is interesting - hope he can handle the pressure against Kohli & Co. #WhistlePodu 🦁
P
Priya M.
Why is CSK experimenting so much? This is crunch time in IPL and we need to secure playoffs spot. Playing Brevis over Dube seems risky. Hope Thala's magic works today! 🤞
A
Arjun S.
RCB's middle order looks shaky without Faf. Patidar as captain is bold move but Kohli needs to anchor the innings today. Ngidi vs Pathirana death overs will be 🔥
S
Sneha R.
As a neutral fan, just want to see good cricket! Both teams have strong points - CSK's experience vs RCB's batting firepower. Hope rain stays away and we get full 40 overs of action.
V
Vikram J.
CSK's team selection is confusing this season. Too many changes every match. At least RCB is giving consistent chances to players. Hope Dhoni knows what he's doing with this bowling-first strategy on a flat track!
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Neha P.
Excited to see young Ayush Mhatre getting chances! IPL is all about discovering new talent. But hope CSK doesn't sacrifice match results for experiments. Need to win this to stay in top 4 race! 💛

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