CSK vs PBKS: Predicted 11 & Impact player options for both teams for Match 7 of IPL 2026

The CSK vs PBKS match will take place on April 3.

The 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been explosive, with three of the six opening matches featuring scores of 200+. The league table is slowly taking shape, with four teams still winless.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will face last year’s runner-ups, the Punjab Kings (PBKS), in Match 7 on Friday, April 3, at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. CSK, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, began their campaign with a disappointing 8-wicket defeat against the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

Chennai’s batting order was fractured by Rajasthan’s bowler, as former CSK all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also picked up two wickets in three overs. Jamie Overton scored 43 runs, helping his side set a target of 128. However, scoring 52 off 17 balls, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi helped RR win the match in 12.1 overs.

Meanwhile, Cooper Connolly’s unbeaten 72-run innings in his debut match steered PBKS towards a resounding victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) by three wickets.

CSK have got off to an unlucky start, while Punjab managed to win despite their batting line-up shaking. Both teams are required to address issues in their batting line-ups, while CSK would also consider making a few changes in their bowling.

CSK vs PBKS: Head-to-Head Record: CSK (16) – PBKS (16)

Chennai Super Kings have faced the Punjab Kings 32 times in the IPL, and interestingly, both sides have won 16 matches each. The head-to-head record of both teams talks much about the unpredictability of the tournament.

CSK vs PBKS: Predicted XIs

Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, Matthew Short, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed.

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

CSK vs PBKS: Possible Impact Player Options

CSK Impact Players: Prashant Veer, Rahul Chahar, Sarfaraz Khan, Gurjapneet Singh, Ramakrishna Ghosh

PBKS Impact Players: Priyansh Arya, Harpreet Brar, Praveen Dubey, Vishnu Vinod, Suryansh Shedge

CSK vs PBKS: Match Prediction

CSK suffered a disappointing loss in their first game, while PBKS got off to a winning start. Comparing the two teams, Punjab has a more balanced line-up, especially in the bowling department and the all-rounders.

Recent results at the MA Chidambaram Stadium haven’t been very favourable for CSK, while Punjab have won six out of the last seven matches against Chennai. Thus, keeping these points in mind, we back PBKS to beat CSK in this game.

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