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Chennai Super Kings have won the toss and elected to field first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Match 11 of IPL 2026 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Ruturaj Gaikwad made the call without hesitation on a pitch he described as a high-scoring surface, and Rajat Patidar admitted RCB were actually looking to bowl first themselves, making this one of those rare tosses where both captains wanted the same thing and only one could get it.
The bigger news from the team sheets is that Josh Hazlewood is once again unavailable for RCB despite the encouraging net session on Saturday, and CSK continue without Dewald Brevis as the two sides take the field for the Southern Derby.
RCB vs CSK: Josh Hazlewood still not ready, Dewald Brevis absent again
The question that dominated the build-up to this fixture has been answered at the toss, Josh Hazlewood will not play tonight. Bengaluru go with the same XI that won their opener against SRH, meaning Jacob Duffy retains his place after his impressive debut and Abhinandan Singh continues in the attack.
It is a decision that suggests RCB are being cautious about rushing their most important bowler back despite his promising net session, and given that they won their first game without him the management clearly feel there is no need to take any risk with his long-term fitness.
Hazlewood's return for the RCB vs RR game in Guwahati on April 10 now looks the more likely target. For Chennai, Dewald Brevis is once again missing from the playing XI as he continues his recovery from the side strain, with Gaikwad confirming the same team that played against Punjab Kings.
MS Dhoni remains absent and Gaikwad gave a measured update on the veteran, saying he is getting back slowly and will play when he is ready.
RCB vs CSK: What Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rajat Patidar said at the toss
Gaikwad was straightforward in his reasoning for bowling first, high-scoring ground, good pitch, look to restrict Bengaluru as much as possible and then chase under lights.
He also spoke positively about the team's growing confidence after a much-improved batting display in their second game against Punjab, saying everyone is feeling good despite the results not going their way yet.
"We will bowl first. Obviously, high scoring ground. Looks like a good pitch, there's going to be some runs. We'll look to restrict them as much as possible. MS is getting back slowly, sometimes it takes time, if he's ready to play, it'll be soon. The first game was disappointing, but our batting was much better in the second game. Everyone is feeling confident. Same team for us." Gaikwad said.
Patidar on the other hand was relaxed and upbeat about being asked to bat first, noting that the pitch looks fresh and hard and that the boys are high in confidence after the way they performed in the opener.
He also confirmed Bengaluru are going in unchanged, which tells you everything about how happy the management are with the combination that produced such a dominant chase against SRH.
"We were looking to bowl first, but it looks like a hard pitch, so we're happy to bat. It's a fresh wicket. The boys played well in the last game and we're looking to continue here. The way everyone played in the last game was tremendous, everyone had clarity in their role and they are high in confidence. We're going with the same side." Patidar said.
Also READ: RCB vs CSK: Here's how Royal Challengers Bengaluru have performed on April 5 in IPL history
RCB vs CSK Playing XIs
RCB: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy.
CSK: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed.
RCB vs CSK Impact players
RCB Impact subs: Suyash Sharma, Jacob Bethell, Rasikh Salam Dar, Kanishk Chouhan, Venkatesh Iyer
CSK Impact subs: Matthew Short, Akeal Hosein, Kartik Sharma, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Gurjapneet Singh
