A sea of yellow is expected to greet 'Thala' MS Dhoni while many would cheer for Virat Kohli, who is returning to competitive cricket after a well-deserved break.

However, it remains to be seen how the fans react after Dhoni stepped down from CSK captaincy on the eve of the CSK vs RCB match.

Returning to team dynamics, newly-appointed captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is expected to don the wicket-keeping gloves and MS Dhoni might play as an impact player.

Rachin Ravindra is set to debut for CSK in absence of Devon Conway. Sri Lanka's Maheesh Theekshana is expected to be one of the four overseas players in the CSK Playing 11 on a home ground, which historically supports spinners.

For RCB, it remains to be seen whether Lockie Ferguson will get a game or Reece Topley.