Chennai Super Kings Gear Up for IPL 2026 Clash Against Punjab Kings

CSK vs PBKS: Match Preview

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are preparing to face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their second match of IPL 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This will mark the season's inaugural game at Chepauk. Following their loss to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the opening match, the Men in Yellow are eager to secure their first victory of the season. However, they are grappling with significant injury issues within their squad.

One of the most notable absences is MS Dhoni, who missed the previous match due to a calf injury. There is a slight chance he could return, as he was spotted arriving at the stadium with his kit and even practicing some batting in the nets. Nevertheless, he did not participate in team drills or wicketkeeping exercises, which were handled by Sanju Samson, indicating that Dhoni's participation in this match remains uncertain.

In addition to Dhoni, Dewald Brevis also sat out the first match due to injury. He participated in training ahead of the PBKS game but was limited to light running drills and worked closely with the physiotherapy team.

Potential Return of MS Dhoni

CSK has confirmed that MS Dhoni will not be available for the first two weeks of IPL 2026. According to a report, he may not make his return until the first week of May, potentially rejoining the team for a match against the Mumbai Indians (MI) on May 2.

CSK Squad for IPL 2026

The squad for CSK includes Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Dewald Brevis, MS Dhoni, Urvil Patel, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Jamie Overton, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary, Noor Ahmad, Akeal Hosein, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar, Zakary Foulkes, Spencer Johnson, Kartik Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, and Ayush Mhatre.