After some thrilling encounters on Saturday, the stage is set for Super Sunday, which promises to be an action-packed weekend in IPL 2026. Gujarat Titans will take on Chennai Super Kings in the first match of the day at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, followed by the clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants at Ekana.
Super Kings are brimming with confidence after their record-breaking win over Mumbai Indians. Meanwhile, the Titans have lost two games on the trot and will be eager to bounce back. In the second game, the Knight Riders will try to build on their recent victory while the Super Giants find themselves in a precarious position.
On a four-match losing streak, Rishabh Pant’s men are in desperate need of a turnaround. However, with KKR also struggling for consistency, LSG will fancy their chances of stopping the slide.
WILL MS DHONI RETURN?
Super Kings have played half of their matches in IPL 2026 but still no sign of MS Dhoni. Dhoni has been dealing with a calf problem that has kept him out of action. Earlier, batting coach Michael Hussey said that The Super Kings are willing to wait until Dhoni is fully fitespecially considering the need to run fast in the closing stages of the innings.
The Super Kings are currently mid-table and have made a solid turnaround after starting their campaign with three straight losses. They are now fighting for a place in the top four. The spin duo of Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad have been outstanding while Anshul Kamboj leads their wicket-taking charts.
Sanju Samson, who has already made two centuries this season, will again be the key. As for Gujarat Titans, they gained momentum with three straight wins before suffering back-to-back defeats that put them under pressure. Shubman Gill is firing but questions remain over his effectiveness as T20 captain as the team looks to stabilise.
CAN KKR EXACTLY GET REVENGE ON LSG?
Kolkata Knight Riders ended their winless run with a win over Rajasthan Royals and will now look to take revenge on Lucknow Super Giants. Earlier, KKR slumped to a three-wicket defeat at the Eden Gardens where Mukul Chaudhary’s unbeaten 54 helped LSG wrest victory from the jaws of defeat.
Despite the win over RR, KKR will realize that their batting was in trouble before Rinku Singh rescued them. The three-time champions will be eager to assert dominance and make a statement, knowing that another defeat could push them to the brink of elimination.
Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants are struggling for momentum, with Rishabh Pant under scrutiny for both his batting and captaincy. Nicholas Pooran also endured a lean run, averaging just 10.42, further adding to LSG’s concerns.
WILL PATHITANA RETURN AGAINST CSK?
Matheesha Pathirana has already linked up with Kolkata Knight Riders even though he did not feature in the game against Rajasthan Royals. KKR will be keen to unleash the Sri Lankan speedster against Chennai Super Kings, especially given his familiarity with CSK – he could have a few tricks up his sleeve against his former side.
The big question though is who will make the trip if Pathirana returns. Sunil Narine and Cameron Green are unlikely to be dropped given their all-round value. That leaves a possible toss-up between Tim Seifert and Rovman Powell for a place in the XI.
With their bowling unit under pressure in recent matches, Knight Riders would certainly welcome the inclusion of Pathirana to add firepower and variety.
CHENNAI AND LUCKNOW: PITCH AND CONDITIONS
The pitch in Chennai has been good for batting, with teams crossing the 200-run mark in three of the six matches so far. This means the spinners are expected to play a key role, bringing Akeal Hosein, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad into the limelight. The surface will likely slow down as the game progresses, which could make batting first the preferred option. There is no rain forecast, temperatures will be around 35°C.
In Lucknow, the pitch offers a more even match between the bat and the ball. Creating moves was not easy and the bowlers enjoyed their share of success. A high scoring game doesn’t seem likely here and a total in the region of 160-165 could make for an even match. The weather will be warm, temperatures around 28°C.
CSK vs GT and LSG vs KKR: HEAD-TO-HEAD
There is absolutely nothing separating Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings, with both teams winning four matches since their first meeting in 2022. However, the story is different in Chepauk, where the Super Kings have a 2-0 advantage over the Titans.
Kolkata Knight Riders, meanwhile, haven’t had the best record against Chennai Super Kings, losing five out of seven encounters. However, in their only meeting in Lucknow in 2024, the Knight Riders recorded a dominant 98-run victory over the Super Giants.
CSK vs GT: Predicted XI
ČSK Playing XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary
Impact Sub: Akeal Hosein
GT Playing XI: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj.
Impact Sub: Prasidh Krishna
LSG vs KKR: Predicted XI
LSG Playing XI: Mitchell Marsh, Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant (c) (week), Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Mayank Yadav.
Impact Sub: Himmat Singh
KKR playing XI: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Tim Seifert (wk), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Impact Sub: Angkrish Raghuvanshi
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– The end
Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
26 Apr 2026 08:31 IST
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