🏏IPL 2026 Match 7th CSK vs PBKS at Chennai🏏

Looking at what the two teams have achieved in IPL history, few would tag Punjab Kings as favourites when they clash against the mighty Chennai Super Kings. But recent form and history suggest otherwise. At this moment in time, PBKS are clearly the better established side of the two. As Ruturaj Gaikwad mentioned in the pre-match press conference, how you fare in a mega auction matters a lot for the entire cycle and PBKS ticked several boxes back then ahead of the 2025 season. Their head coach Ricky Ponting believes they are even better compared to the first season of the cycle where they almost clinched their maiden title.

Living up to that billing, they also started on a fine note by getting past Gujarat Titans in their first game of the new season. Cooper Connolly has effortlessly replaced Josh Inglis at No. 3 by delivering a match-winning performance on his IPL debut. But what would ultimately give PBKS more confidence heading into this fixture is the recent record they enjoy at this venue. They won here in 2023, they won here in 2024 and even after a revamp, they won again in 2025. No other team in the IPL to do that to CSK at their own den in the last three seasons. There should be little to no surprise if they make it four in a row on Friday.

CSK on the other hand are aleady under a bit of pressure after coming up with the worst batting performance in the opening round. This young batting unit that they have assembled is designed to flourish on placid surfaces and when the going got tough in Guwahati, they just crumbled. Thankfully for them, they will find the conditions much more batting friendly at home this time. But in such a scenario, will the bowling attack then be put under the pump given it dominated the pre-season chatter? Come what may, this could prove to be a decisive fixture for the five-time champions. An early dent in the campaign will not be ideal considering the fact that there's a high-voltage clash coming up on Sunday at the home of the champions.

When: CSK vs PBKS, IPL 2026, April 3 at 7:30 PM IST

Where: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

What to expect: Going by what we saw in the T20 World Cup recently, the wickets at Chepauk are expected to be batting friendly. The skies will stay clear.

Head to head: CSK 16 - 16 PBKS. PBKS have dominated this fixture in recent times with a 6-1 record.

Chennai Super Kings

Injuries/Unavailabilities: While MS Dhoni continues to be on the sidelines, CSK could receive a massive boost in the form of Dewald Brevis. Gaikwad remained non-committal about the South African's participation, but Brevis batted in the nets away from the main group and looked comfortable.

Tactics & Matchups: Ruturaj Gaikwad has a poor record in the Powerplay against left-arm pacers, averaging just 23 at a strike rate of 117.94. However, Sanju Samson enjoys a great record against Arshdeep Singh.

Probable XII: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Sanju Samson (WK), Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry

Punjab Kings

Injuries/Unavailabilities: Any concerns over Shreyas Iyer's participation was put to rest by assistant coach Brad Haddin prior to the game. Thankfully for PBKS, their skipper hasn't broken a bone. In fact, he looked imperious during the practice session sending several balls into the stands.

Tactics & Matchups: If Samson does manage to bat beyond the Powerplay, PBKS will have to introduce Yuzvendra Chahal into the attack as early as possible. The leg spinner has had great success against the opener, dismissing him five times so far.

Probable XII: Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (C), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak/Harpreet Brar, Yuzvendra Chahal

Did you know:

- The average first innings score at Chepauk during the recently-concluded T20 World Cup was 197.

- At home, CSK lost five games and won only one in the 2025 season.

- Sanju Samson, all set to make his home debut for CSK, shockingly averages just 13.16 at a strike rate 105.33 at Chepauk.

Big picture - Can CSK regain their fortress?

Michael Hussey, at the end of Chennai Super Kings' humbling in Guwahati, took heart from the fact that their next game was in front of their own fans. But the thing is, the Assam Cricket Association stadium was filled with their fans as well and it irked Riyan Parag, who had grown up playing there and might have been looking forward to a little more support on his full-time IPL captaincy debut.CSK can definitely take heart from the conditions in Chennai. They've flattened out, requiring a different kind of batter. Like Sanju Samson, who has hit a six once every eight balls in T20s this year.

But Punjab Kings have the same affinity for clearing the boundary. Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, who will open the batting, have hit more than half their IPL career sixes in the powerplay. Shreyas Iyer brings the same ruthless efficiency to the middle overs and Shashank Singh was the joint second-highest six-hitter in the death overs in IPL 2025.

PBKS are one of four IPL teams with an equal or greater number of wins against CSK in Chennai (P9, W5, L4). They've been on the right side of the result in three successive trips to Chepauk. Last year, CSK's hold of their fortress was shattered (P6, W1, L5). This year, will they get it back?

Team news and likely XIIs

Dewald Brevis is recovering from a side injury and while he had a long net, he only faced throw downs and barely did more than defending the ball. It seems unlikely he'll be back. Without him, CSK's middle-order appears vulnerable again. CSK's IPL opener was their first without MS Dhoni or Suresh Raina in the XI. The one on Friday will be the third time they play at Chepauk without Dhoni.

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Sanju Samson (wk), 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 3 Ayush Mhatre, 4 Matt Short, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Sarfaraz Khan/Prashant Veer, 7 Kartik Sharma, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Noor Ahmed, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Anshul Kamboj, 12 Khaleel Ahmed

"No break," said PBKS assistant coach Brad Haddin, when asked about Shreyas' hand, which took a blow while standing at the non-strikers' end in the last game. Ricky Ponting said PBKS had strengthened from the time they finished as IPL finalists last year. Considering the success of Cooper Connolly - and even without it, the mere fact that he was batting at No. 3 displacing Shreyas who had such great success there (360 runs at an average of 51.42 and strike rate of 180.9) - was proof of the good work they had done at the auction table. They have batting down to No. 8 and seven bowling options if Connolly and Marcus Stoinis can bowl.

Punjab Kings: 1 Priyansh Arya, 2 Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 3 Cooper Connolly, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Xavier Bartlett, 10 Vijaykumar Vyshak, 11 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Yuzvendra Chahal

In the spotlight: Ruturaj Gaikwad and Marcus Stoinis

Ruturaj Gaikwad has six single-digit scores in his last ten innings in the IPL. He missed a good chunk of the last season with injury and is starting this one back at the top of the order and with a new partner, whose stature is a threat to his captaincy. Gaikwad said in his conversations with Samson that Samson would prefer Gaikwad to keep leading CSK. But that would depend on the results. Gaikwad has a fine record at Chepauk - 764 runs at an average of 50.9 and a strike-rate of 142.

Eleven batters have scored a century against CSK in the IPL. Marcus Stoinis is one of only two to do so at Chepauk. His role, down at No. 6, probably prevents him from going that big, but he should still enjoy a good feeling walking into the ground as he looks to put behind a duck in his first game of the season, against Gujarat Titans.

Stats and trivia

• Arshdeep Singh and Khaleel Ahmed are two of the most compelling left-arm quicks in the IPL. Since 2024, they are neck and neck on the number of wickets taken in the powerplay - Arshdeep leads the whole list with 40 and Khaleel is in third place with 31
• Both of them enjoy a favourable match-up against the opposition captains. Arshdeep vs Gaikwad in the IPL reads three wickets for 40 runs and a batting strike-rate of 114.28. Khaleel vs Shreyasreads three wickets for 33 runs and a batting strike rate of 132
• Yuzvendra Chahal took a hat-trick the last time he played CSK in Chennai. He has 23 wickets against them in IPL matches at an economy rate of 7.1, and perhaps more crucially, an upper-hand against their star player. Chahal has dismissed Samson five times in 12 innings for just 61 runs. No bowler has taken him out as often in the IPL
• Both teams are locked at 16 wins and 16 losses each in the IPL. Since 2022, however, PBKS have won five games and CSK just one.

Pitch and conditions: The Chepauk makeover

Chennai was nasty, particularly to quick bowlers, during the T20 World Cup. The pace and bounce that was on offer simply made it easier for batters to hit through the line and that trend might just continue in the IPL too. Haddin confirmed there was a bit of grass on it. Friday is set to bring temperatures hitting a high of 35C and a low of 26C. This will be the same pitch where India recorded 256 for 4 against Zimbabwe in the T20 World Cup.