CSK vs PBKS IPL 2026 live from Chennai
The stage is set for a blockbuster clash as the Chennai Super Kings clash with the Punjab Kings in the IPL 2026 game at the MA Chidambaram Stadium today.
Chennai Super Kings is coming off a huge loss against Rajasthan Royals in the first game of IPL 2026. They will look to gain momentum with a home advantage at Chepauk, but face a tough test against the Punjab Kings, who dominated the opening game against the Gujarat Titans.
Stay tuned for ball‑by‑ball updates, key moments, and instant highlights from this high‑stakes CSK vs PBKS encounter.
Ayush Mhatre takes on Xavier Bartlett
Ayush Mhatre finds his feet and smashes Xavier Bartlett for three back-to-back fours to accelerate CSK's innings in the powerplay.
Ruturaj Gaikwad - 12 off 8 balls
Ayush Mhatre - 14 off 9 balls
CSK - 39/1 in 4 overs
Ayush Mhatre struggles
Ruturaj Gaikwad welcomes Marcon Jansen with another four over the point area, but the bowler makes a strong comeback with four dot deliveries to Ayush Mhatre.
Ruturaj Gaikwad - 11 off 7 balls
Ayush Mhatre - 0 off 4 balls
CSK - 24/1 in 3 overs
Sanju Samson fails again
A poor start to Sanju Samson's CSK career continues as he falls in the second over. After finding a cracking four at mid-off off Xavier Bartlett, Samson tries to find a big shot by making a room, but a thick edge finds Prabhsimran behind.
Samson scored 7 off 7 balls. Ayush Mhatre comes at No. 3.
CSK - 14/1 in 2 overs
Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad off to quiet start
Another slow start from CSK openers as Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson take no risk to find boundaries in the first over off Arshdeep Singh.
Ruturaj Gaikwad - 1 off 2 balls
Sanju Samson - 3 off 4 balls
CSK - 5/0 in 1 over
The game is on
Openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson are out in the middle to begin CSK's innings. Arshdeep Singh to bowl the first over for Punjab Kings.
The game is on here at Chepauk...
CSK vs PBKS Impact Players
Punjab Kings impact substitutes: Suryansh Shedge, Priyansh Arya, Vishnu Vinod, Pravin Dubey, Hemant Brar
Chennai Super Kings impact substitutes: Jamie Overton, Rahul Chahar, Matthew Short, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Gurjapneet Singh
PBKS Playing XI - Priyansh Arya on bench
No changes to Punjab's eleven today. Priyansh Arya is on the bench and will come as an impact player.
PBKS Playing XI: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
CSK Playing XI - Veer debuts, Overton on bench
Prashant Veer replaces Matthew Short in Chennai Super Kings' playing eleven today. Jamie Overton, who was the top-scorer against the Royals in the last game, is surprisingly left out on the bench. He might come to bowl as an impact player.
CSK Playing XI: Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed
CSK vs PBKS Toss
Captains Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shreyas Iyer are out in the middle with Ian Bishop for the toss.
Iyer calls tails, and tails it is.
Punjab Kings have won the toss and elected to bowl first.
Punjab Kings make no changes to their playing eleven. Chennai hand debut to Prashant Veer.
Punjab Kings eye top spot in IPL 2026 Points Table today
A win today will boost Punjab Kings to the top of the IPL 2026 points table. They are currently placed 5th in the points table with 2 points.
Chennai remain at the bottom after their heavy loss against the Royals, and will look to record their first points of the season today.
WATCH: Chahal took hat-trick last time PBKS played in Chennai
pic.twitter.com/3JynpDQyaP When @yuzi_chahal went 𝙒 𝙒 𝙒 ☝️☝️☝️
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 3, 2026
Relive his 𝐇𝐚𝐭-𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐬 the last time #PBKS met #CSK in Chennai 🥳
What does he have in store in tonight's #CSKvPBKS contest? 🤔✍️#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | @PunjabKingsIPL
PBKS form ahead of the CSK match
Punjab Kings finished the IPL 2025 as runners-up and continued that form this season. Shreyas Iyer-led team defeated Gujarat Titans in their first match of the season in New Chandigarh.
Vijaykumar Vyshak and Yuzvendra Chahal shone with the ball to restrict the Titans to 162/6 while bowling first. Debuant Cooper Connolly then played a memorable knock by smashing 72* off 44 balls to lead the Kings to a three-wicket win with five balls remaining.
It was a close game for Punjab, but their camp will be boosted ahead of the today's match against CSK.
CSK's form ahead of the PBKS match
Chennai Super Kings finished the 2025 season at the bottom of the points table with just 4 wins in 14 games. They also lost their opening game against Rajasthan Royals this season.
Without MS Dhoni and Dewald Brevis in the team, the five-time champions were bowled out on 127 against the Royals while batting first in Guwahati. Bowlers also struggled to impress as their opponent chased down the target with eight wickets and 47 balls remaining.
The focus will be on their opening pair of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson today. Both failed to score in the last match and are expected hit the ground running in their first game at home this season.
CSK vs PBKA Head-to-Head Record
Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings is one of the most competitive contests in IPL history, with both teams winning 16 times against each other.
Total Matches: 32
CSK Wins: 16
PBKS Wins: 16
However, Punjab Kings have won four of their last five IPL games against Chennai Super Kings. They even lead the head-to-head record at MA Chidambaram Stadium with 5 wins in 9 games against CSK.
PBKS Team News - Shreyas Iyer declared fit
Captain Shreyas Iyer was struck by a ball on his wrist during Punjab's last match against the Gujarat Titans. He was seen with a lot of pain, and there were concerns about his availability for today's game.
However, Iyer has been declared fit to play in the PBKS vs CSK game today. So, Punjab Kings are unlikely to tinker with their playing eleven against Chennai Super Kings.
PBKS Probable XI vs CSK: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal