new delhi, April 2
Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will look to reset and respond strongly when they host last season’s runners-up Punjab Kings in their first home game of IPL 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, after a disappointing start to the campaign. CSK endured a difficult outing in their opener against Rajasthan Royals, where a young and relatively inexperienced side struggled across departments. The focus now shifts to putting that loss behind them quickly in what is a long tournament and making better use of home conditions.The Chennai surface, which recently hosted matches during the T20 World Cup, is expected to favour batters, offering CSK an opportunity to regroup with the bat. The potential return of MS Dhoni to the dugout, even as he continues to recover from a calf strain, could provide valuable guidance to captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. A lot will also depend on key players stepping up. Sanju Samson, one of their biggest signings this season, had a quiet debut and will be eager to make an impact in front of the home crowd. There is also uncertainty around Dewald Brevis, whose availability remains unclear due to injury. The team did see glimpses of promise from Sarfaraz Khan, who returned to IPL action after a gap, while youngsters like Kartik Sharma are expected to grow into their roles as the tournament progresses. On the bowling front, CSK will be keen for a stronger showing after being put under pressure in their opening game. Bowlers such as Matt Henry and Noor Ahmad will look to bounce back and deliver more control and penetration. Punjab Kings, meanwhile, come into the contest with momentum and a settled unit under the leadership of Shreyas Iyerand guidance of coach Ricky Ponting. The side has built a strong core and is targeting a deep run this season. One of their key positives has been the emergence of Cooper Connolly at No. 3, who played a crucial role in anchoring a tricky chase in their opening match. However, the middle order will aim to be more consistent after a few hiccups in what should have been a comfortable run chase. With the ball, Punjab have multiple match-winners. Yuzvendra Chahal has returned in good rhythm, using his variations effectively in the middle overs, while Vijaykumar Vyshak has continued his impressive form across phases of the game. The team also has the option of bringing in Harpreet Brar, adding further balance to their bowling combination.
Squads:
Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (c), Priyansh Arya, Harnoor Singh, Mitchell Owen, Vishnu Vinod, Nehal Wadhera, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Marcus Stoinis, Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett, Yuzvendra Chahal, Lockie Ferguson, Harpreet Brar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Yash Thakur, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Musheer Khan, Praveen Dubey, Vishal Nishad, Suryansh Shedge, Prabhsimran Singh, Pyla Avinash, Shashank Singh.
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Dewald Brevis, MS Dhoni, Urvil Patel, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Jamie Overton, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary, Noor Ahmad, Akeal Hosein, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar, Zakary Foulkes, Spencer Johnson, Kartik Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Ayush Mhatre.
