Chennai Super Kings will play their first home game of the season on April 3 and the anticipation is already palpable around the return to Chepauk. After a heavy defeat in Guwahati earlier this week, the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side will be hoping the familiar conditions can spark a turnaround when they take on Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings on Friday.
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Traditionally, Chepauk has been a nightmare for visiting teams. Slow, low surfaces coupled with CSK’s spin power often left opponents stuck in survival mode under Chennai’s heat and humidity. But lately that aura has taken a hit. In IPL 2025, CSK managed just one win at home, a rare drop that played a major role in their overall struggles.
Things feel a little different now. The pitches have been friendlier to the batsmen and with CSK being in a transition phase, the pitch is not quite the same for both sides. This shift also frames the narrative direction of this clash. Still chasing their first IPL title, Punjab Kings are slight favorites against the five-time champions. CSK endured a tough IPL 2026 opener after losing to RR. (Photo: PTI)
Punjab meanwhile, arrive with momentum after the win over Gujarat Titans. Yuzvendra Chahal pulled the strings beautifully in their opener to help restrict Gujarat to 162/6 in 20 overs at Mullanpur. The chase wasn’t all smooth sailing but youngster Cooper Connolly stepped up in style and sealed the game with a confident half-century on debut.
FOCUS ON SAMSON, RUTURAI
If Chennai are to turn the script, they need to start with their two main men – captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and big-ticket signing Sanju Samson. Samson, who returned from a high-profile move from Rajasthan Royals, had a memorable outing against his former side, with Nandre Burger rattling the stumps early on. The reset button needs to be pressed quickly and the Chepauk crowd behind him could be just what he needs against another sharp bowling attack. ČSK fans will be hoping that the Ruturaj-Samson duo clicks against PBKS. (Photo: PTI)
However, the spotlight will shine just as brightly on Gaikwad. His release raised a few eyebrows at Jofro Archer, almost as if he was trying to create space where none existed. For a player known for his calmness and clear-sightedness, the moment was slightly out of sync.
CSK 127 all out against Rajasthan Royals paints a grim picture on paper, but context matters. This Guwahati pitch had a lot of life in it, with movement and zip from extended covers in the opening. It wasn’t the easiest place to bat.
However, Chepauk promises a very different scenario. The batting surfaces here have leaned towards high-scoring contests, especially during the T20 World Cup, and all indications point to more of the same. If that holds true, expect runs and expect the CSK batsmen to have a much fairer shot at finding their rhythm.
CAN PUNJAB BATTING AVOID KOLASA?
Punjab Kings did almost everything right in their opening game except for a period of four overs with the bat where they simply lost the plot. Chasing 163 runs in Mullanpur, they were 110/2 in 12 overs and then somehow reduced it to 118/6 in the space of 18 balls. The PBKS batsmen had a mixed performance against GT. (Photo: PTI)
Far from winning this game, Gujarat got a sniff and managed to make it to the finals of the competition.
If Gujarat had 20 more runs on the board, Punjab could have been in real trouble on the night and the side will be wary of that when they take on Chennai on Friday.
IS MS DHONI PLAYING?
Chennai Super Kings talisman MS Dhoni missed the first match due to a calf injury. Dhoni hit the net on the eve of the match, but he is unlikely to play against Punjab. In his absence, Sanju Samson will continue as the goalkeeper.
Dhoni’s absence was expected to be a boon for the team against Rajasthan and help CSK in the transition phase, but the team struggled badly in Guwahati. The hosts will want to avoid such an implosion. MS Dhoni rejoined CSK training after injury. (PTI photo)
SHREYAS IYER INJURY UPDATE
Punjab have been plagued by injuries Shreyas Iyer lasted during the match against Gujarat. Iyer was at the non-striker’s end when Cooper Connolly fired at him in the last ball of the 12th over. Iyer took an evasive action, tried to get off the line of the ball but failed to protect his arm. He looked in excruciating pain and a physical therapist came to see him right away. Will Shreyas Iyer’s injury limit his chances against CSK? (PTI photo)
He was out on the very next ball he faced, which could have been due to a lack of concentration due to the pain.
PBKS assistant coach Brad Haddin allayed all fears, stating that Iyer’s hand is not broken. The skipper had trained in Chennai the day before and also looked in good touch. He is expected to play the match on Friday.
CSK vs PBKS: CHENNAI PITCH AND WEATHER
It will be a very hot day in Chennai. There is a heat warning in place, with some weather reports suggesting a true high of 29 degrees Celsius will be closer to 40. No rain is expected in the evening.
The pitch is expected to be a flat batting track, similar to India’s T20 World Cup Super 8 match against Zimbabwe.
CSK vs PBKS: PREDICTED PLAYING XI
CSK: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry
Impact Player: Prashant Veer
BKS: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yuzvendra Chahal
Impact Player: Priyansh Arya
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
April 3, 2026 12:20 PM IST
