Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik is excited about the upcoming clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He praised his team’s approach during practice sessions and looked forward to the high-stakes match.

RCB and CSK Set for Southern Derby Clash

Five-time champions CSK will face RCB in a crucial Southern Derby at Chepauk Stadium on Thursday. This match is one of the most anticipated games of the IPL season. In their last encounter, RCB knocked CSK out of the tournament based on net run rate. Moreover, they secured a playoff spot after six consecutive wins. So far, both teams have played 33 matches against each other. CSK won 21, while RCB managed only 11 victories. One game ended without a result. Notably, RCB’s only win at Chepauk came in the inaugural IPL season in 2008.

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Karthik expressed confidence in his team’s structure and playing style. “I honestly feel that the way we are structuring our team, the way we are playing, and the way we intend to play makes this game very exciting for us. As a team, we are extremely excited and confident of our abilities,” he said, according to an RCB release.

Karthik Believes in RCB’s Potential

He acknowledged RCB’s early performances in the tournament. “In the first few games, we showed glimpses of what we are capable of, and our goal is to keep raising the bar, regardless of the venue. It is still early in the tournament, and while past stats exist, this is a fresh group of players who are hungry and eager to make an impact. Being part of this setup as a mentor, watching the players in practice, and seeing their approach has made it an exciting build-up for me personally. It is two strong teams going head-to-head, and I cannot wait for the game to begin,” he added.

This marks Karthik’s first Southern Derby as a mentor. In the previous RCB vs. CSK match, which helped RCB reach the playoffs, he played a quick 14-run cameo off six balls, hitting one four and one six.

Squads for the Match

Chennai Super Kings Squad: Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, Shivam Dube, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Nathan Ellis, Khaleel Ahmed, Vijay Shankar, Jamie Overton, Shreyas Gopal, Devon Conway, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Mukesh Choudhary, Anshul Kamboj, Matheesha Pathirana, Gurjapneet Singh, Shaik Rasheed, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Andre Siddarth C, Vansh Bedi.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Abhinandan Singh, Manoj Bhandage, Romario Shepherd, Swapnil Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lungi Ngidi, Nuwan Thushara, Jacob Bethell, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara.