Chennai Super Kings: Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will take on last season’s finalists Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 7 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 to be played at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.
CSK endured a disappointing campaign in IPL 2025, finishing at the bottom of the table, and would have aimed for a fresh start this year. However, their campaign began on a poor note as they suffered a heavy defeat to the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. After being bowled out for just 127 in 19.4 overs, CSK saw Rajasthan chase down the target comfortably in only 12.1 overs, losing just two wickets.
In contrast, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) opened their season with a hard-fought win against the Gujarat Titans in Mullanpur. Led by Shreyas Iyer, PBKS restricted their opponents to 162/6 on a challenging pitch. Despite a shaky middle-order performance, Punjab managed to cross the finish line in 19.1 overs with three wickets in hand.
