Devdutt Padikkal of Royal Challengers Bengaluru has confirmed that they will have to treat their IPL 2025 match against Chennai Super Kings no differently. He believes their usual match prep suffices before the encounter with CSK at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on May 4. Padikkal is keeping calm even with fans all hyped up about the upcoming matchup with CSK. He thinks that if RCB sticks with their game plan and executes well, they should be able to take down the opponents.
However, CSK’s situation is different; they were not able to qualify for the playoffs after losing to Punjab Kings on April 30. They will come to Bengaluru with pride at stake in this match. It is a particular match for RCB, where winning could take them at the top of the table. Padikkal had stated before the match that the team has shown a lot of teamwork this season, and they definitely should not change anything that has worked for them. He stated: “We have played some good cricket this season, and there is no need to treat any game differently. If we prepare well and stay focused, we should be alright.”
Though CSK isn’t really in the middle of the playoff race, this match is buzzing, more so with the possibility of seeing MS Dhoni squaring off against Virat Kohli. Then, add to that, CSK will be looking to recover from the disappointment of last season from this very ground, where a place in the playoffs was denied to them. For RCB, it has been a pretty strong season where they managed to win seven out of ten, but their home record has not been that impressive: just one win at this ground against Rajasthan Royals.
Padikkal’s trust in the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s preparations doesn’t alter the fact that this intense rivalry involves ancient history loaded with rival reasons intermingled with emotions on both sides.
