Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will play the 7th match of the Indian Premier League 2026 season on Friday, April 3 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The Super Kings, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, will be hoping to register their first win in the ongoing tournament in front of their home crowd.
Shreyas Iyer’s team started their campaign with a win over Gujarat Titans (GT). Meanwhile, the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side suffered a disappointing defeat against Rajasthan Royals (RR). Punjab is fourth in the table with two points, while Chennai, which is yet to open its account, is at the bottom.
csk vs pbks team news
Chennai Super Kings is facing injury crisis. MS Dhoni is out for at least two weeks due to a severe calf strain. Dewald Brevis has suffered a side strain and is likely not available for the game. Spencer Johnson will join the team later this month as an injury replacement for Nathan Ellis.
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Punjab Kings will enter the match without any major injury worries. After the initial win, Shreyas Iyer will take charge of the team. Cooper Connolly and Prabhsimran Singh are in good batting form ahead of the match to be held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
IPL 2026, Match 7: CSK Playing XI vs PBKS
Openers: Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad
Chennai Super Kings need a strong opening partnership after a poor batting performance against Rajasthan Royals. Sanju Samson is expected to open with Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Samson will also handle the primary wicketkeeping duties while MS Dhoni is out of action. The wicketkeeper-batsman failed to replicate his T20 World Cup 2026 form in the first match in Chennai colours.
Middle-order batsmen and all-rounders: Ayush Mhatre, Matt Short, Shivam Dubey, Karthik Sharma, Jamie Overton.
Ayush Mhatre, Matt Short, Shivam Dubey, Karthik Sharma and Jamie Overton will strengthen the middle and lower middle order. With Dewald Brevis injured, Short will take on additional responsibility alongside Shivam Dube.
Dubey will be crucial for the Chennai-based franchise to counter the Punjab Kings spinners in the middle overs, while Karthik Sharma and Jamie Overton provide depth in the lower order. Overton scored 43 runs in 36 balls in the first match, which included two fours and two sixes.
Bowlers: Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj
Matt Henry will lead the pace attack for Chennai Super Kings and can swing the ball early during the powerplay. Noor Ahmed provides left-arm wrist-spin variety to the bowling attack. Anshul Kamboj and Khaleel Ahmed will handle the responsibility of fast bowling.
Playing XI of Chennai Super Kings:
Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Ayush Mhatre, Matthew Short, Shivam Dubey, Karthik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Matt Henry, Khalil Ahmed, Noor Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj.
12th player: Sarfaraz Khan
IPL 2026, Match 7: PBKS Playing XI vs CSK
Openers: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya
Punjab Kings are likely to go with Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya at the helm. Arya failed to perform well with the bat in the first match, while Prabhasimran scored 37 runs in 24 balls, which included one four and four sixes. The team will expect an aggressive start from the opening batsmen.
Middle-order batsmen and all-rounders: Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Johnson.
Cooper Connolly played a brilliant innings in his IPL debut and scored an unbeaten 72 off 44 balls to help Punjab Kings defeat Gujarat Titans.
Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh and Marcus Stoinis will strengthen the middle order. Iyer and Vadhera can open the innings, while Johnson provides balance with his all-round ability and provides lower-order hitting in the death overs.
Bowlers: Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
Arshdeep Singh will lead the pace attack. Vijaykumar Vaish took three wickets against Gujarat Titans, but may miss out due to spin-friendly conditions in Chennai. Punjab Kings will depend on Yuzvendra Chahal to trouble the CSK middle-order.
Playing XI of Punjab Kings:
Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Johnson, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
12th player: Harpreet Brar
CSK vs PBKS Impact Players
Sarfaraz Khan previously served as an impact player for Chennai Super Kings. Urvil Patel could also be used to strengthen their batting lineup in case of another collapse. Harpreet Brar is a strong option for Punjab Kings, as he can be effective on the spin-friendly surface in Chennai.
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