CSK vs PBKS Live Score, IPL 2026: All eyes on Sanju Samson & Shreyas Iyer in a clash of Kings in Chepauk

Having stumbled in front of Rajasthan Royals in their IPL 2026 opener, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are seeking a return to winning ways as they host Punjab Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday. Led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK were bowled out for just 127. In fact, CSK were the worst batting unit in the first round in the ongoing season.

On the other hand, Punjab Kings are coming on the back of a nervy win over Gujarat Titans, thanks to an unbeaten half-century from Cooper Conolly. However, the major concern for Punjab Kings will be captain Shreyas Iyer's participation, who injured his hand in the previous game.

CSK vs PBKS head-to-head in IPL

CSK and PBKS share a 16-16 win-loss record in IPL, thus making it one of the most balanced rivalries in the history of the tournament. In the previous season, Punjab Kings won both their matches against CSK, en route to their runners-up finish.

CSK vs PBKS predicted XIs

Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Ayush Mhatre, Matthew Short, Kartik Sharma, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Anshul Kamboj

Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (C), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal