Chennai. April 14. 7:30 PM.
Two teams with 13 IPL trophies between them. Both are stuck near the bottom of the table. CSK won their first match on Saturday. KKR still have not won a single game in IPL 2026.
Something has to give tonight at Chepauk.
Match Details
| Detail |
Information |
| Match |
CSK vs KKR, Match 22 |
| Date |
April 14, 2026 (Tuesday) |
| Time |
7:30 PM IST. Toss at 7:00 PM |
| Venue |
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Live broadcast |
Star Sports, JioHotstar |
Where Both Teams Stand Right Now?
CSK lost three matches in a row to start the season. Worst start in franchise history.
Then Sanju Samson happened.
Batting first against Delhi Capitals on Saturday, CSK scored 212/2. Samson stayed unbeaten on 115 off 56 balls. Ayush Mhatre made 59 off 36. The opening partnership finally worked.
Jamie Overton took 4/18 from four overs. Anshul Kamboj picked 3 wickets. CSK won by 23 runs. KKR's story is different. Four matches. Zero wins. One washout against Punjab Kings gave them their only point.
Last match against Lucknow Super Giants hurt the most. KKR had the game under control. Then their bowlers could not defend against rookie Mukul Choudhary. Four straight losses now.
Head to Head: CSK Owns This Rivalry
| Criterion |
Numbers |
| Total matches |
32 |
| CSK won |
20 |
| KKR won |
11 |
| No result |
1 |
At Chepauk, CSK has won 8 out of 12 meetings.
Highest total in CSK-KKR matches: 235/4 by CSK at Eden Gardens in 2023.
Lowest total: 103/9 by CSK at Chepauk last year.
Sunil Narine has taken 26 wickets in 22 games against CSK. Economy rate of 6.31. Best among all bowlers in this fixture.
Suresh Raina holds the run record. 610 runs in 22 matches.
Chepauk Pitch: Not What It Used to Be?
Chepauk was a spinner's paradise for years. Slow. Low. Turning.
Not anymore.
This season, batters are dominating here. Three out of four innings at this venue crossed 200 runs. CSK made 212/2 in their last home game.
Tonight's match will be on a black soil surface.
What does that mean? Black soil gives decent carry and bounce early. Batters can trust the bounce in the powerplay. As the match goes on, the surface slows down. Spinners start getting grip and turn.
Par score at Chepauk: 175 to 180. Anything below 165 is chaseable.
Teams batting first have a slight edge. The surface slows down in the second innings. Stroke play becomes harder.
Chennai Weather: The Real Test
April in Chennai is brutal.
Daytime temperatures hit 35°C. At match time, expect 30 to 32°C.
Humidity is the bigger problem. Forecast says 80% humidity during the match. Players will sweat heavily. Fitness will be tested.
Good news: Zero chance of rain. Full 40 overs expected.
CSK Team News
MS Dhoni's return is still unclear. No official update. CSK may keep him out and stick with the winning combination from Saturday.
Three CSK players to watch tonight:
Sanju Samson: Scored 115 off 56 balls in the last match. First century in CSK colours. Confidence is sky high.
Jamie Overton: Took 4/18 in the last match. Has become the leader of CSK's pace attack. Bowls hard lengths.
Ayush Mhatre: Breakout star of the season for CSK. Two fifties in four matches. Strike rate above 160.
Noor Ahmad: Afghan wrist-spinner. Perfect for the Chepauk track. Gets grip and turn.
Probable CSK XII: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh.
Impact Player: Prashant Veer likely if CSK defends a total.
KKR Team News
Bad news for KKR. Harshit Rana is out with a knee injury. Needs surgery. Navdeep Saini replaces him.
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Good news. Varun Chakaravarthy missed the last two games with a hand injury. He has been training. Likely to return tonight.
Three KKR players to watch:
Angkrish Raghuvanshi: KKR's best batter this season. Scores of 51, 52, and 45 in three completed innings. Average of 51.67. Strike rate of 158.
Sunil Narine: Has a good record against Sanju Samson. Conceded only 66 runs off 82 balls to him. Chepauk suits his bowling.
Cameron Green: KKR's big signing. Has started bowling now. Needs a big performance with bat or ball.
Probable KKR XII: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Navdeep Saini, Kartik Tyagi, Vaibhav Arora.
Impact Player: Varun Chakaravarthy likely as third spinner.
Three Key Battles Tonight
Samson vs Narine: Narine has bowled 82 balls to Samson in the IPL. Conceded only 66 runs. Never dismissed him. Interesting fight tonight.
CSK pacers vs Cameron Green: Green has good numbers against both Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein. CSK will use their fast bowlers against him.
Shivam Dube vs Varun Chakaravarthy: If Varun plays, Dube is CSK's best bet against him. Dube loves hitting spin.
Dream11 Fantasy Picks for Tonight
| Player |
Role |
Why Pick |
| Sanju Samson (C) |
Batter |
Coming off a century. In sublime touch |
| Jamie Overton (VC) |
All-rounder |
4 wickets last game. Can also hit sixes |
| Ayush Mhatre |
Batter |
Two fifties in four matches. Value pick |
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi |
WK-Batter |
KKR's most consistent batter |
| Sunil Narine |
All-rounder |
Chepauk specialist. Can bat too |
| Noor Ahmad |
Bowler |
Wrist-spin on turning track |
| Anshul Kamboj |
Bowler |
Takes wickets in powerplay |
Who Wins Tonight?
CSK enter as favourites.
They have momentum from their first win. Their batting clicked against Delhi. Their bowling found a template with hit-the-deck pacers.
KKR are desperate. Desperate teams can be dangerous. But their bowling has been weak all season.
Varun Chakaravarthy's return could change things. If he and Narine weave their magic on the Chepauk track, KKR have a chance. But history favours CSK. Form favours CSK. Home crowd favours CSK.
My pick: CSK wins. KKR's search for first win continues.
Where to Get Live Updates?
Toss at 7:00 PM IST. First ball at 7:30 PM.
Watch on Star Sports or JioHotstar.
Follow Cricbuzz or ESPNcricinfo for ball-by-ball updates.
The Final Thoughts
Two teams at the bottom. One is rising. One is sinking. CSK found their formula against Delhi. Samson is back. Overton is firing. The home crowd will be loud.
KKR need something special. Raghuvanshi has been good but needs support. Narine needs wickets. Green needs a statement performance.
Do not miss this one.
