Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will host Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 7 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. Fans are eagerly waiting for the upcoming match between Chennai and Punjab, which will take place on Friday, April 3 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
Punjab Kings had defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) in their opening match on March 31 in New Chandigarh. Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings suffered a heavy defeat against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on March 30. The Super Kings will be eager to win on home soil to make a comeback in the tournament.
IPL 2026: CSK vs PBKS Match Preview
Chennai Super Kings had a bad start to the IPL 2026 season. Rajasthan Royals defeated them by eight wickets in Guwahati. CSK batted first and could only score 127 runs, which the Royals easily achieved in just 12 overs.
Meanwhile, Punjab Kings started their campaign with a win. They chased down the target of 163 runs with five balls to spare against Gujarat Titans and won by three wickets. Cooper Connolly played a brilliant match-winning innings to give PBKS the win.
CSK will have to fix their batting problems before the next match. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad may include Urvil Patel to strengthen the lineup. Dewald Brevis is injured with a side strain, forcing the Super Kings to rely more on Sanju Samson and Shivam Dubey.
IPL 2026: CSK vs PBKS Playing XI
Chennai Super Kings will likely make significant changes after the previous defeat. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson are expected to open the batting. Urvil Patel can replace Matthew Short or Sarfaraz Khan.
Matt Henry and Khalil Ahmed will lead CSK’s pace attack against Punjab Kings. The team can also use Sarfaraz Khan to provide additional batting depth during the match.
Chennai Super Kings Team: Sanju Samson (wk), Ayush Mhatre, Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Urvil Patel, Matthew Short, Shivam Dubey, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmed, Khaleel Ahmed, Matt Henry, Anshul Kamboj, Akeal Hosein, Sarfaraz Khan, MS Dhoni, Dewald Brewis, Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Chahar, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Chaudhary, Aman Khan, Gurjapneet Singh, Zachary Faulks, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Karthik Sharma, Prashant Veer.
Playing XI of Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Ayush Mhatre, Matthew Short, Shivam Dubey, Karthik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmed, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed.
12th player: Sarfaraz Khan
Punjab Kings are likely to field an unchanged lineup after their recent win. Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya are expected to open, while Cooper Connolly is at number three.
Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera and Marcus Stoinis provide strength to the middle order. Arshdeep Singh and Yuzvendra Chahal will lead the bowling, while Harpreet Brar can play a key role with spin in Chennai.
Punjab Kings Team: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (w), Shreyas Iyer (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Suryansh Shedge, Ben Dwarshuis, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Marco Johnson, Vijaykumar Vishak, Lockie Ferguson, Vishnu Vinod, Praveen Dubey, Xavier Bartlett, Yash Thakur, Nehal Wadhera, Harpreet Brar, Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Owen. Harnoor Singh, Musheer Khan, Payla Avinash, Vishal Nishad
Playing XI of Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Johnson, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
12th player: Harpreet Brar
IPL 2026: CSK vs PBKS Impact Players
The Impact Player rule plays an important role in strategy making during IPL matches. Chennai Super Kings can use Sarfaraz Khan as their impact player as he can strengthen the batting if early wickets fall against the pace attack of Punjab Kings.
Punjab Kings have several strong impact player options available. Captain Shreyas Iyer can choose between Vijaykumar Vaish, Harpreet Brar, Praveen Dubey, Vishnu Vinod and Suryansh Shedge. Harpreet Brar could be the best option, as spin is likely to be effective at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
IPL 2026: CSK vs PBKS pitch report
The MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch traditionally offers a balance between bat and ball. Spinners are likely to get significant assistance at this location. Six matches were played here during the IPL 2025 season, in which the average score in the first innings was 164 runs.
Batsmen find it relatively easy to score boundaries during powerplay overs. However, with the introduction of spinners in the middle overs, scoring becomes more difficult. Fast bowlers who use clever off-cutters and slower balls can also be effective during the death overs.
If Chennai Super Kings bat first, Ruturaj Gaikwad will aim for between 180-200 runs. Punjab Kings, with their strong batting lineup, will aim to score above 200 runs in the first innings.
IPL 2026: CSK vs PBKS Weather Report
The weather forecast for Chennai predicts hot and humid conditions. The temperature will be around 28 degrees Celsius in the evening. The sky will be mostly clear to partly cloudy, ensuring the entire match without any rain delay.
There will be a light breeze in the stadium. However, heavy dew may affect the second innings. Because dew makes it difficult to grip the cricket ball, spinners like Yuzvendra Chahal and Noor Ahmed may struggle in the later overs.
IPL 2026: CSK vs PBKS head-to-head record and last 5 matches
CSK and PBKS have the same overall record in the IPL, with both teams winning 16 matches each out of 32 encounters. PBKS have dominated the last five meetings, winning four matches while CSK has managed just one win.
Punjab Kings defeated Chennai Super Kings twice in IPL 2025. CSK’s most recent win against PBKS came on May 5, 2024, when they won by 28 runs.
last 5 matches
Punjab Kings won by 18 runs in 2025
Punjab Kings won by 4 wickets in 2025
Punjab Kings won by 7 wickets in 2024
Chennai Super Kings won by 28 runs in 2024
Punjab Kings won by 4 wickets in 2023
IPL 2026: CSK vs PBKS players to keep an eye on
Sanju Samson is the most important batsman for Chennai Super Kings. Samson, who scored 321 runs during the recent T20 World Cup, was seen struggling in the first match and could score only 6 runs. CSK will need him to perform well against Punjab Kings.
Cooper Connolly played a brilliant innings on his IPL debut. He scored unbeaten 72 runs in 44 balls against Gujarat Titans. The left-handed batsman will try to dominate the CSK spin bowlers in the middle overs.
Yuzvendra Chahal bowls brilliantly on slow, spinning pitches. He recently took important wickets against Gujarat Titans. The pitch at this venue suits his style and he can trouble CSK’s middle order in this match.
IPL 2026: CSK vs PBKS key battles worth watching
The battle between Shivam Dubey and Yuzvendra Chahal promises to be quite thrilling. Dubey enjoys aggressive spin and hitting big sixes, but Chahal relies on clever flight and sharp turn to dismiss aggressive batsmen. Their aim will be to get Dubey out quickly.
In another major contest, Sanju Samson faces Arshdeep Singh in the powerplay. Arshdeep can swing the new ball both ways and Samson, who was dismissed by the left-arm pacer in the first game, will have to handle the initial challenge carefully.
The competition between Noor Ahmed and Shreyas Iyer can play an important role in the middle overs. Noor will look to take wickets with his variations and ability to turn the ball on slow pitches. Iyer will aim to counterattack and keep the scoreboard moving.
The battle between Khaleel Ahmed and Prabhsimran Singh could be important in the powerplay. Khaleel, with his ability to swing the new ball and bowl a tight line, will look to trouble the PBKS openers early. Known for his attacking intent, Prabhasimran will aim to face the fast bowlers and provide quick starts.
IPL 2026: CSK vs PBKS Live Streaming & Telecast Details
Cricket fans can easily watch the match between Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings through live broadcast. Star Sports Network holds the exclusive television rights.
Viewers can watch IPL 2026 matches live on various regional Star Sports channels. For digital users, JioHotstar app offers live streaming of the entire IPL 2026 season with an active subscription.
Fans will need a stable internet connection to watch Chennai Super Kings take on Punjab Kings on their mobile phones, tablets or smart TV devices.
IPL 2026: CSK vs PBKS Match Prediction
Punjab Kings will enter the match as clear favourites. Shreyas Iyer will lead the team with strong batting depth and quality spin options. PBKS also have the psychological edge after defeating Chennai Super Kings four times in their last five IPL meetings.
In contrast, Chennai Super Kings are looking weak at the moment. Their heavy defeat against Rajasthan Royals exposed their batting concerns. Ruturaj Gaikwad will now face a tough challenge as CSK will need a near-perfect performance.
The toss can play an important role in deciding the result. The captain, who has won the toss in all four matches of IPL 2026 so far, has decided to bowl first. With the target being easier to chase in a night game, both the captains may opt to bowl in Chennai.
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