The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) return to their ‘den’ when they take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 7 of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Friday, April 03. The hosts will be seeking their first win of the new season.
CSK come into the game after suffering a heavy defeat at the hands of Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side only managed 127 while batting first, which was comfortably chased down by RR, thanks to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 17-ball 52.
PBKS, on the other hand, had a winning start to their 2026 IPL campaign. Last year’s finalists beat the Gujarat Titans (GT) by three wickets in a nervy end to the game in New Chandigarh. Cooper Connolly was the star of the show, scoring 72 from 44 balls.
Both CSK and PBKS played twice last season, with Shreyas Iyer’s side doing the double over the five-time champions. This included a four-wicket over the Chennai-based side at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. Batting first, CSK put 190 on the board, thanks to Sam Curran’s 88. In reply, PBKS chased down the total with two balls to spare after captain Iyer scored 72 from just 41 balls, who was later declared Player of the Match.
The iconic stadium in Chepauk played host to seven games in the 2026 T20 World Cup. The pitch offered assistance to both bat and ball. However, chasing could still be the preferred decision for the toss-winning captain.
M.A. Chidambaram Stadium: Pitch Report
Over the years, the pitch at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium has been renowned for slowing down, which brings the spinners into the game. However, that has not been the case in recent times, with teams registering big totals in the recently-concluded T20 World Cup. Dew has also been a factor in Chennai in the past.
The iconic ground had recently gone under renovation. Thus, this will be the first time an IPL game will be played on the new surface.
IPL Stats and Records at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium
| Matches Played |
91 |
| Matches Won Batting First |
51 |
| Matches Won Batting Second | 40 |
| Matches With No Result | 00 |
| Matches Tied | 00 |
| Average First Innings Score | 164 |
| Highest Team Total | 246 |
| Highest Total Successfully Chased | 201 |
CSK vs PBKS: Strategies and Match-ups
Heading into the game on Friday, batting remains the strength for both CSK and PBKS. Despite Chennai’s shortcomings against RR, the team in yellow have enough pedigree in their batting lineup. PBKS, however, slightly hold the edge when it comes to the bowling. The Punjab-based outfit have a much more experienced bowling unit thanks to the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal, Marco Jansen, and Arshdeep Singh.
CSK and PBKS will compete in one of the closest rivalries in IPL history. In their 32 total meetings, both sides have won 16 times each. The two-time finalists, however, hold the edge in recent times, having won four of the last five matches.
