03 Apr, 20:10 (IST)

FIFTY! Ayush Mhatre reaches his second-ever IPL fifty in style, with a maximum. Mhatre reached his first IPL half-century of IPL 2026, and in Chennai on 29 balls, which include 4 fours and as many sixes.

03 Apr, 19:56 (IST)

Since the fall of Sanju Samson's wicket, the charge has been led by youngster Ayush Mhatre, who is outscoring the experienced Ruturaj Gaikwad. The duo has added 35 runs in quick time, taking 19 odd balls. 

03 Apr, 19:37 (IST)

OUT! Xavier Bartlett provides Punjab a perfect start, dismissing the in-form Sanju Samson. Samson went for the drive, but ended up giving a catch to the keeper. This is Samson's second successive failure in the yellow jersey. 

03 Apr, 19:32 (IST)

Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad will be under pressure to provide the team a steady start, given how much the team depends on them to score big, given an inexperieneced middle-order. PBKS will bank on their pacers to use the new-ball to their advantage. 

03 Apr, 19:14 (IST)

Chennai Super Kings Impact Substitute: 

  • Jamie Overton
  • Rahul Chahar
  • Matthew Short
  • Ramakrishna Ghosh
  • Gurjapneet Singh
Punjab Kings Impact Substitute:
  • Suryansh Shedge
  • Priyansh Arya
  • Vishnu Vinod
  • Pravin Dubey
  • Hemant Brar

03 Apr, 19:03 (IST)

CSK XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, Prashant Veer, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed

03 Apr, 19:01 (IST)

PBKS XI: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

03 Apr, 18:57 (IST)

TOSS! Punjab Kings has won the toss, and captain Shreyas Iyer has opted to bowl first. 

03 Apr, 18:48 (IST)

Hello and welcome to LatestLY's coverage of IPL 2026, where today CSK will face off against PBKS in Chennai. Stay tuned for the toss update,

All eyes are on the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium tonight as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) host Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 7 of the IPL 2026 season. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s men are under immediate pressure to perform after a bruising opening-day defeat to Rajasthan Royals. In contrast, Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings arrive in the capital full of confidence, seeking to build on their clinical victory over Gujarat Titans and maintain their recent dominance over the five-time champions.  You can follow CSK vs PBKS IPL 2026 live scorecard here.

Statistically, Punjab Kings have turned the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium into a second home. They have won their last three consecutive matches in Chennai, a record few visiting sides can boast. Overall, Punjab has claimed victory in six of the last seven encounters between these two franchises, creating a psychological hurdle for the hosts to overcome tonight.  Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings, IPL 2026 Live Streaming Online and Free Telecast

Both teams are expected to make tactical adjustments for the Chepauk surface. CSK may look to bolster their spin department with Noor Ahmad, while Punjab will rely on the pace quartet of Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen to exploit any early evening moisture.

This fixture marks the first IPL match at Chepauk since its extensive outfield renovation. Early reports suggest the traditionally spin-friendly track has evolved into a more batting-friendly surface, mirroring the flat decks seen during the 2026 T20 World Cup.