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Tonight's Southern Derby between RCB and CSK at the Chinnaswamy is not just another IPL fixture, it is the fourth time in the tournament's history that Royal Challengers Bengaluru have taken the field on this specific date.
Here is the full breakdown of how RCB have fared every time they have played on April 5.
April 5, 2017: The Yuvraj Singh nightmare In Hyderabad
RCB's first April 5 appearance came in the 2017 season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad and it set the tone for what would be a painful day for the franchise. Yuvraj Singh, playing for SRH, produced a vintage display of destructive hitting, 62 off just 27 balls, to power the home side to 207 for 4.
RCB, without the injured Virat Kohli, could only manage 172 in reply and lost by 35 runs. It was a reminder that April 5 could be a brutal date for this franchise when everything goes wrong at once.
April 5, 2019: Thirteen balls that changed everything at Chinnaswamy
This is the one that RCB fans cannot erase from their memory no matter how hard they try. Playing at home against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2019, RCB posted 205 for 3, a total that should have been more than enough on any given night. Kohli contributed 84 off 49 to set the platform and the game looked well in hand.
Then Andre Russell walked in with KKR needing an improbable total and in 13 balls scored 48 not out, hitting the ball to every part of the ground and beyond it, to complete one of the most jaw-dropping chases the Chinnaswamy has ever witnessed. KKR won by five wickets with five balls remaining. April 5 record, two losses.
April 5, 2022: Dinesh Karthik's heist at the Wankhede
The one that proves RCB can win on this date when they have the right finisher.
Playing Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede in 2022, RCB were chasing 170 and found themselves in trouble before Dinesh Karthik walked out and did what Dinesh Karthik does, 44 not out off 23 balls, keeping his head when everything around him was wobbling, and getting RCB home by four wickets with five balls to spare.
Yuzvendra Chahal delievered a great bowling spell but DK was the match-winner. April 5 record, one win, two losses.
Also READ: Will Josh Hazlewood play today's RCB vs CSK game?
April 5, 2026: Can RCB balance the ledger tonight vs CSK?
April 5 has a habit of producing some of the most dramatic cricket involving this franchise. From Yuvraj Singh destroying them in Hyderabad to Andre Russell's most terrifying thirteen balls at the Chinnaswamy, this date has not always been kind to RCB.
But there is one entry in the April 5 ledger that gives them hope, and it happened at the Wankhede in 2022 when Dinesh Karthik pulled off one of the great IPL heists.
Tonight against CSK marks RCB's fourth appearance on April 5 and they go into it as clear favourites with a win probability of 60.4 percent.
They sit fourth in the table with two points and a massive NRR of plus 2.907 after chasing 202 in just 15.4 overs in their season opener. CSK on the other hand are winless and bottom of the table after consecutive losses to Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings.
Virat Kohli is the central figure tonight, he is the all-time leading run-scorer in this rivalry with 1,146 runs across 35 games and needs 91 more to overtake Sameer Rizvi at the top of the Orange Cap standings.
The history of April 5 shows RCB are capable of both the spectacular win and the spectacular collapse on this date. Tonight at the Chinnaswamy, in front of a crowd that will be at full voice from ball one, they have the chance to take their April 5 record to a more respectable 2-2.
