IPL 2025: CSK vs RCB Match 8 - Who will be Impact Players for today's match?

Overview

Popular franchise Chennai Super Kings will take on their traditional rivals Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, on Friday, March 28. Notably, this will be the Match No. 8 of the ongoing Indian Premier League 2025.

CSK started their campaign with a four-wicket win at home against Mumbai Indians. Meanwhile, RCB got the better of Kolkata Knight Riders in a one-sided seven-wicket win at Eden Gardens on the tournament's opening day.

Predicted Impact players for Chennai Super Kings

• Rahul Tripathi – Came in as the Impact Player against Mumbai and opened the batting. However, he was dismissed for just two. Tripathi is a naturally aggressive batter who can score very quickly when he is on song.

• Kamlesh Nagarkoti – The 2018 Under-19 World Cup winner has the ability to bowl at fiery speeds consistently. He is also a very handy fielder.

• Vijay Shankar – He provides an all-round option. However, if Chennai Super Kings decide to bring him in as an Impact Player, it will be for his batting ability. Shankar averages 25.34 and has a strike rate of 129.81 from 60 IPL innings.

• Jamie Overton – The England all-rounder is primarily known for his bowling. He bowls the heavy ball and is usually very consistent with his lines and lengths. Overton has played 12 T20Is for England, picking up 11 wickets at an average of 16.91.

• Shaik Rasheed – The 20-year-old was part of India's Under-19 World Cup-winning squad in 2022. He smashed a brilliant 94 against Australia in the semi-final. Rasheed was roped in by CSK for the first time ahead of IPL 2023. He has not yet made his debut in the league.

Predicted Impact players for Royal Challengers Bengaluru

• Devdutt Padikkal – Came in as the Impact Player against the Knight Riders. He batted at No. 3 but was dismissed by Sunil Narine for a run-a-ball 10. Despite the low score, Padikkal is expected to come in as the Impact Player once again.

• Abhinandan Singh – A right-arm fast bowler from Uttar Pradesh, who was roped in by RCB ahead of IPL 2025. He claimed 15 wickets from 11 games in the Uttar Pradesh T20 League.

• Manoj Bhandage – Like Abhinandan, Manoj Bhandage has not yet made his IPL debut. He is a talented seam-bowling all-rounder from Karnataka and has produced some fine all-round performances in Karnataka's Maharaja T20 Trophy 2024.

• Romario Shepherd – The all-rounder from the West Indies can hit some lusty blows at the back end of an innings and bowl at decent speeds as well. However, he is much better with the bat against pacers than spinners.

• Swapnil Singh – The 34-year-old spin-bowling all-rounder has previously played for Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants. He has featured in 14 IPL matches, scoring 51 runs and picking up seven wickets.

Expert opinion and final prediction

• Home Advantage – CSK will have a considerable edge over RCB as they have a team better suited to the spin-friendly conditions at Chepauk.

• Recent Form – Both teams are coming off wins in their previous fixtures. However, CSK have already played one match at home, making them more familiar with the conditions.

• Balanced Side – RCB have more firepower in their batting department, but CSK's bowling attack looks much stronger on paper.

CSK vs RCB winner prediction

Chennai Super Kings have several factors in their favour, making them the favourites to win the match. However, RCB have the players capable of giving the Men in Yellow a tough challenge.