Favourites PBKS aim to extend Chepauk dominance

Looking at IPL history, few would tag Punjab Kings as favourites against Chennai Super Kings. But recent form suggests otherwise. Currently, PBKS appear the more established side. As highlighted by Ruturaj Gaikwad, their successful mega auction ahead of the 2025 season set a strong foundation, and head coach Ricky Ponting believes they have improved since nearly winning the title that year.

They began the new season with a win over Gujarat Titans, boosted by Cooper Connolly's match-winning debut at No. 3. However, PBKS's greatest confidence booster is their recent record at Chepauk: they won here in 2023, 2024, and again in 2025. No other team has beaten CSK at their home venue in three consecutive seasons across this period.

CSK are under early pressure after a poor batting display in their opening game. Their young batting unit, built for placid pitches, struggled in Guwahati. Conditions in Chennai should be more batting-friendly, which may test a bowling attack that dominated pre-season discussions. This fixture could be decisive for the five-time champions, especially with a high-voltage clash looming on Sunday.

When: April 3, 7:30 PM IST
Where: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
What to expect: Batting-friendly conditions with clear skies.
Head to Head: CSK 16 – 16 PBKS. PBKS hold a 6-1 advantage in recent meetings.

Team Updates:

• CSK: MS Dhoni remains sidelined. Dewald Brevis could return, having batted comfortably in the nets.
• PBKS: Shreyas Iyer is fit and looked imperious in practice, dispelling any injury concerns.

Key Tactics & Matchups:

• Ruturaj Gaikwad averages only 23 against left-arm pace in the Powerplay.
• Sanju Samson has a strong record against PBKS's Arshdeep Singh.
• PBKS may look to introduce Yuzvendra Chahal early if Samson bats beyond the Powerplay; the leg-spinner has dismissed him five times.

Notable Stats:

• The average first-innings score at Chepauk during the recent T20 World Cup was 197.
• CSK won only one of their six home games in the 2025 season.
• Sanju Samson averages just 13.16 at a strike rate of 105.33 at Chepauk.

Quotes:

"I congratulated him on his first boundary for yellow… Being a south boy, I knew he will always be welcomed here… Hopefully, we will have many more partnerships to come." – Ruturaj Gaikwad on new opening partner Sanju Samson.

"We were pretty keen to get him early in the auction… everyone got a taste of the maturity he has with the bat." – Brad Haddin on Cooper Connolly's IPL debut.