CSK vs PBKS, IPL 2026 LIVE: Punjab Kings opt to field, go with same XI

CSK vs PBKS LIVE: Chennai Super Kings will be desperate to open their account as they take on Punjab Kings in match number 7 of the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) on April 3 in Chennai. The five-time champions had a disastrous start to their campaign after suffering a crushing 8-wicket defeat at the hands of RR. As a result of that defeat, CSK finds themselves at the same place where they finished last time – at the bottom of the points table with an embarrassing net run rate of ove -4. PBKS, on the other hand, managed to clinch a 3-wicket win in their first IPL 2026 game, thanks to Cooper Connolly’s mature knock.

CSK vs PBKS Match Details

Feature	Details
Match	Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings, Match 7
Date	Friday, April 3, 2026
Time	7:30 PM IST (Toss at 7:00 PM IST)
Venue	MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai
Captains	Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK) vs Shreyas Iyer (PBKS)
Live Telecast	Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi
Live Streaming	JioHotstar App and Website

CSK vs PBKS: Head-to-Head Record

Historically, CSK has held the upper hand, but Punjab Kings have a surprisingly resilient record against the 5-time champions in recent years.

CSK vs PBKS predicted Playing XIs

Chennai Super Kings

Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Sanju Samson (WK), Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj

Punjab Kings

Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (C), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak/Harpreet Brar

Live

CSK vs PBKS Live Score: Limited foreign resources for CSK

03/04/2026 19:15

Massive issue for Chennai

CSK starting with just two overseas players in Noor and Henry. Prashant Veer debuts.
— Venkata Krishna B (@venkatatweets) April 3, 2026

CSK vs PBKS Live Score: NO change for Punjab

03/04/2026 19:11

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

CSK vs PBKS Live Score: One change for Chennai

03/04/2026 19:08

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed

CSK vs PBKS LIVE: PBKS opt to bowl

03/04/2026 19:02

Shreyas Iyer has won the toss and has opted to bowl first. He goes with the same XI from the last match, so they are confident with things went last time around.

CSK vs PBKS LIVE: Good batting surface

03/04/2026 18:59

This shall be a good batting surface overall, which means toss won't decide much. Teams though should be looking to set a big total on the board.

CSK vs PBKS LIVE: Will Musheer/Sarfaraz get a game?

03/04/2026 18:52

Sibling rivalry today

Sarfaraz just tried to run with Musheer’s bat. 😂
pic.twitter.com/ZONNQEQBoL
— Pratyush Halder (@pratyush_no7) April 3, 2026

CSK vs PBKS LIVE: Looks like Dhoni won't play

03/04/2026 18:44

We will find out in a bit if Dhoni will play or not, but truth be told, highly unlikely for now. He is yet to be 100%, and has only started batting in the nets a couple of days ago.

CSK vs PBKS LIVE: Sanju Samson vs Yuzvendra Chahal a match-up to watch out

03/04/2026 18:34

Sanju Samson hasn't enjoyed much success while he has faced former teammate Yuzvendra Chahal in the past. In fact, he has been dismissed 5 times by the spinner previously in IPL. Can CSK's latest recruit taste success against the spinner in Chennai?

Yuzvendra Chahal has gotten the better of Sanju Samson five times in IPL 🏏#IPL #CSKvPBKS #SanjuSamson #YuzvendraChahal #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/A7vvvmDfJl
— InsideSport (@InsideSportIND) April 3, 2026

CSK vs PBKS, IPL 2026 LIVE: Will Shreyas Iyer play?

03/04/2026 18:30

Shreyas Iyer was hit by a ferocious shot by Cooper Connolly in the previous game, and the PBKS batter needed immediate medical attention. In fact, after the match, he was seen wearing a bandage on the affected area. But, as per PBKS assistant coach Brad Haddin, all is well with Shreyas Iyer.

CSK vs PBKS LIVE: Who will win today's match?

03/04/2026 18:23

CSK and PBKS have each won 16 matches in the 32 games that they have played so far. But this time around, things are different. PBKS have been in red-hot form over the past 12 months while CSK are yet to find their right footing. Who will win today's match? Read below

CSK vs PBKS LIVE: Can Super Kings stay undefeated at Chepauk?

03/04/2026 18:04

Chennai Super Kings have won every first match they’ve played at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium since 2015, making Chepauk their unbeatable opening fortress 🟡🏏#IPL #Chepauk #ChennaiSuperKings #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/KuMfbzCEW7
— InsideSport (@InsideSportIND) April 3, 2026

CSK vs PBKS LIVE: Chennai Super Kings gear up!

03/04/2026 17:55

Game Mode: On 🎯💪#WhistlePodu #CSKvPBKS pic.twitter.com/vVjSmMj6pZ
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 3, 2026

CSK vs PBKS, IPL 2026 LIVE: Head-to-head record

03/04/2026 17:52

Total Matches Played: 32
CSK Won: 16
PBKS Won: 16

CSK vs PBKS LIVE: Pitch Report

03/04/2026 17:45

The MA Chidambaram Stadium remains a surface that favors spinners but has seen better batting conditions in recent years. The pitch is expected to be dry, offering turn as the game progresses. However, with the lights on, the ball might come onto the bat better in the second innings.

CSK vs PBKS, IPL 2026 LIVE: Punjab Kings squad

03/04/2026 17:09

Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh(w), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer(c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar, Praveen Dubey, Vishnu Vinod, Suryansh Shedge, Yash Thakur, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ben Dwarshuis, Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Owen, Harnoor Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash, Vishal Nishad

CSK vs PBKS, IPL 2026 LIVE: Chennai Super Kings squad

03/04/2026 17:09

Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ayush Mhatre, Matthew Short, Kartik Sharma, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Sarfaraz Khan, Prashant Veer, Rahul Chahar, Gurjapneet Singh, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Akeal Hosein, MS Dhoni, Shreyas Gopal, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Choudhary, Aman Khan, Dewald Brevis, Zakary Foulkes, Urvil Patel

Cricket Indian Premier League (IPL)IPL 2026 Chennai Super Kings Punjab Kings