The 25th match of IPL 2025 is set to witness a high-stakes clash between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on April 11. For CSK, this fixture carries added pressure, as the five-time champions are struggling to find their rhythm this season. With just one win from five matches, they are languishing in ninth place on the points table. Their most recent outing ended in an 18-run defeat to Punjab Kings, despite a fighting 69-run knock from Devon Conway.
Returning to their fortress in Chennai, CSK will be desperate to turn their campaign around. Meanwhile, KKR aren’t faring much better. Placed sixth with two wins in five matches, they, too, are looking to rediscover consistency. Their previous match saw them fall agonizingly short, losing by just 4 runs to Lucknow Super Giants, even though Ajinkya Rahane played a resilient 61-run innings.
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With both teams eager to shift momentum in their favor, this clash promises to be a compelling contest. In their IPL rivalry, CSK clearly hold the upper hand, having won 20 out of their 31 meetings with KKR. But with both sides battling form issues, this encounter could spring a surprise.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
With Ruturaj Gaikwad ruled out of the tournament, CSK face a crucial decision on who steps into his shoes. Among the frontrunners is Rahul Tripathi, who shares Gaikwad’s Maharashtra roots and offers experience at the top. Alternatively, CSK might look to bolster their middle order by introducing young wicketkeeper Vansh Bedi, possibly at the expense of a third seamer.
On the bowling front, while CSK have typically held back Matheesha Pathirana for the death overs, there’s a compelling case to unleash him with the new ball—especially against Sunil Narine. The KKR all-rounder thrives against spin in the powerplay, and neutralizing him early could tilt the balance in CSK’s favour. R Ashwin, though inconsistent this season, has historically done well against KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane and could be key in the middle overs.
Probable XII: Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c&wk), R Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Choudhary/Anshul Kamboj
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
For KKR, there’s growing uncertainty around Quinton de Kock’s form, except his knock against the Rajasthan Royals. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who trained extensively ahead of the match and knows CSK’s spin weapon Noor Ahmad well, might be given a chance. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni, even at 43, remains CSK’s most feared finisher. But his poor record against Narine and Chakravarthy could tempt KKR to hold back overs for the death.
Probable XII: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Moeen Ali/Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora
Fantasy XI Suggestion 1:
Quinton de Kock, Devon Conway, MS Dhoni, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vc), Rachin Ravindra, Venkatesh Iyer, Sunil Narine, Ravindra Jadeja, Andre Russell, Noor Ahmad
Fantasy XI Suggestion 2:
Quinton de Kock (c), Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Rachin Ravindra (vc), Venkatesh Iyer, Sunil Narine, Ravindra Jadeja, Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, Noor Ahmad
