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The stage is set for a high-octane Friday night at the MA Chidambaram Stadium as the Chennai Super Kings<\/strong> host the Punjab Kings<\/strong> in Match 7 of IPL 2026<\/strong><\/a>. While the history books show a dead-even rivalry, the present finds these two teams in very different gears. CSK look to solidify their fortress, while PBKS aims to prove their 2025 table-topping run was no fluke.<\/p>\n Ruturaj Gaikwad<\/strong> leads a side forced into an early-season tactical pivot. With MS Dhoni<\/strong> sidelined, the legendary finisher and tactical sounding board is missing from the field. This places immense pressure on Sanju Samson<\/strong>, who not only takes the gloves but must now anchor the middle order and provide that aggressive edge against spin. The game plan remains spin-centric; expect Noor Ahmad<\/strong> and Rahul Chahar<\/strong> to be the primary aggressors on this gripping Chepauk surface. Without Dhoni\u2019s death-overs cushion, the onus shifts heavily to Shivam Dube<\/strong> to provide the late-innings acceleration.<\/p>\n Under Shreyas Iyer<\/strong>, PBKS have shed its reputation for inconsistency and looks like a composed, clinical unit. Their bowling attack is perfectly tailored to exploit any uncertainty in a Dhoni-less CSK lineup. Yuzvendra Chahal<\/strong> <\/a>returning to Chepauk is a nightmare prospect for batters, while Arshdeep Singh\u2019s<\/strong> world-class ability to nail yorkers will test CSK\u2019s revised finishing order. If Marcus Stoinis<\/strong> and Shashank Singh<\/strong> can successfully counter the CSK spin twins in the middle overs, Punjab has the firepower and the depth to finally breach the yellow fortress.<\/p>\n Matches played:<\/strong> 32 | CSK won:<\/strong> 16 | PBKS won<\/strong>: 16 | No result\/Tied:<\/strong> 0<\/p>\n Chennai Super Kings: <\/strong>Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, Noor Ahmad, Shreyas Gopal, Khaleel Ahmed, Matt Henry.<\/p>\n Impact Player options:<\/strong> Rahul Chahar \/ Mukesh Choudhary<\/p>\n Punjab Kings: <\/strong>Shreyas Iyer (c), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett.<\/p>\n Impact Player options:<\/strong> Mitchell Owen \/ Vishwa Nishad<\/p>\n Also READ:\u00a0Shreyas Iyer provides update on his wrist injury after Punjab Kings\u2019 narrow win over Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nCSK vs PBKS, Head-to-Head Record in IPL<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Probable XI of Both Teams<\/strong><\/h2>\n
IPL Stats and Records at MA Chidambaram Stadium<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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