Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings: Key Factors to Watch Out For

Team Form and Performance

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are looking to bounce back from their fifth consecutive home loss, while Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are desperate to course-correct after three consecutive defeats. PBKS have been struggling to decode the conditions at their new home stadium, while CSK have misfired in all three departments.

Key Batters and Match-ups

• PBKS' key batters against CSK's spin trio will be Iyer, Wadhera, and Maxwell.
• Wadhera has scored 79 runs off 48 balls at a strike rate of 165 against spin so far.
• Maxwell enjoys a good strike rate against R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Noor Ahmad, although he has been dismissed seven times by the left-arm spinner.

Probable XIs

• PBKS: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, Yuzvendra Chahal
• CSK: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Vijay Shankar, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary/Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana

Injury and Availability

• Both teams have no reported injury concerns at the moment.

Tactics and Match-ups

• CSK have struggled to find strong starts with the bat this season, which might prompt a reshuffle in their batting order.
• Ruturaj Gaikwad could benefit from a return to the top of the order.
• Shivam Dube could have an important role to play against Yuzvendra Chahal, who has struggled against left-handed batters.

Statistical Insights

• CSK have the lowest scoring rate (7.50), lowest average (22.50), and lowest boundary percentage (17.24 %) among all teams in the powerplay in this IPL.
• Since May 2024, Dube has been dismissed by spin six times in eight innings he faced spin.
• MS Dhoni averages only 13.80 in CSK's wins since 2023 while his average in losses goes up to 90.67.
• PBKS have a win percentage of only 13.3 at home since 2023, with SRH's 43.8 being the second lowest.