Chennai Super Kings will face Punjab Kings in the forthcoming clash of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on 30th April at M..A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Match Preview:
Although Chennai’s campaign in this running season of the IPL is all but over, they would look to turn-around their disastrous campaign when they face good but erratic Punjab Kings in their upcoming fixture.
It has been a disappointing campaign as the five-times IPL champions could only register 2 games before their name in nine games. And as a result the team is languishing at the bottom of the table.
What has been disappointing for the side is the way they fail to master the home conditions as for years Cheapuk was the fortress for the side. If anything, the side would look to back to winning ways to keep their play-offs chance alive (thin hopes to be precise).
Even the likes of MS Dhoni failed to step-up for the side after taking over the captaincy from Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was ruled out because of the elbow injury.
Talking about the Punjab Kings, the side has played good cricket but their main issue is unpredictability. The side would look to win more games in order to qualify as they would be clear favourites to beat the demolished and stuttering CSK.
Chennai Super Kings’ new recruit Ayush Mhatre made quite the impression on his IPL debut and will now be eyeing another solid performance, especially when he faces Arshdeep Singh with the new ball during the powerplay.
One of the most anticipated contests will be between Shivam Dube and Yuzvendra Chahal in the middle overs. Chahal has been in red-hot form for Punjab Kings in the latter half of the tournament, and it’ll be a real test for CSK’s middle order to counter him.
For PBKS, the opening pair of Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh has looked sharp, piling on the runs early. CSK will hope that left-arm quick Khaleel Ahmed can break through and keep them in check.
Shreyas Iyer brings a sense of calm to the PBKS batting line-up and has the ability to anchor the innings. However, CSK will be banking on Afghan spinner Noor Ahmad to unsettle him and put the brakes on their momentum.
MS Dhoni, at 43, has shown flashes of his trademark finishing flair, but CSK have struggled to find a settled and effective playing XI this season. Rachin Ravindra’s inconsistency at the top and the underwhelming form of senior players like Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, and Matheesha Pathirana haven’t helped their campaign either.
On the batting front, players like Vijay Shankar, Deepak Hooda, and Rahul Tripathi have failed to live up to expectations so far.
PBKS, meanwhile, have the luxury of a quality all-rounder in Marco Jansen, and with Arshdeep and Chahal leading their bowling attack, they look well-balanced going into the clash.
Probable Playing XI:
CSK: Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, Deepak Hooda, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Nathan Ellis, Anshul Kamboj
PBKS: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Josh Inglis, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Glenn Maxwell/Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar
Pitch and weather report:
The IPL 2025 has seen five matches at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium (also known as Chepauk), where the hitters have amassed the lowest average of 22.6 runs and the lowest scoring rate of 8.1 out of the 12 venues used this season. The numbers of spinners and seamers are nearly equal.
About the weather, there is no rain prediction on the match day as the temperature will be around 32°C.
Head-to-head record:
CSK and PBKS have faced off in 31 games. In these games, PBKS has won 15 and CSK has won 16. However, Punjab has defeated Chennai six times in the last seven meetings.
Prediction:
Given how CSK has been failed to crack the code this season and make a stable lineup, Punjab Kings are favourite to win the upcoming clash of the tournament.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Afghanistan: ATN
MENA: Cricbuzz
