Struggling Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders will be looking to infuse some momentum into their campaigns when they face-off in match 22 of 2026 Indian Premier League at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.
Both teams find themselves languishing at the bottom of the IPL points table. With just one point from four matches, KKR sit last, while CSK, with two points from four games, are placed ninth.
Kolkata have managed just one point this season, courtesy of an abandoned game against Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens. The 2024 champions have otherwise endured a tough run, suffering heavy defeats to Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants.
Their struggles have been evident in both departments. With the bat, opener Finn Allen is yet to register a half-century, while Ajinkya Rahane, after starting the season with a fifty against MI, has failed to build on that momentum. Cameron Green, the team's most expensive signing, has been underwhelming, not crossing 40 in four innings. The lone bright spot has been young Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who has impressed with two fifties.
The bowling unit hasn't fared any better. Varun Chakravarthy has missed the last two games due to a hand injury. The pace attack, too, has lacked bite. However, there is some hope on the horizon, with Sri Lankan quick Matheesha Pathirana set to join the squad soon. Green's brief spell against Lucknow also offered a small positive.
Chennai head into this match on the back of a win over Delhi Capitals. The win was powered by Sanju Samson's unbeaten hundred and Jamie Overton's spell of 4/18. While the win has uplifted the spirits in the CSK camp there is still much work to be done by the five-time champions.
The defeats against Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings and Royals Challengers Bengaluru have exposed the team's frailties. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has been dismissed on the scores of scores of 6, 28, 7 and 15 this season. Dewlad Brevis, after missing the first three matches, was included in the lineup against Delhi but did not get chance to bat. So his form remains unknown. Pacer Khaleel Ahmed and left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad both have played all the four games but collectively picked two wickets. There is little clarity on when MS Dhoni will return!
Weather, Pitch
The India Meteorological Department has predicted partly cloudy sky for Chennai on Tuesday. The evening temperature is expected to be around 28°C.
The two matches played at the Chepauk this season have been high-scoring fixtures. The ball is coming onto the bat nicely and there is hardly any help for the pacers. So expect a batting friendly track for this match too.
Head to Head
- Matches played: 32
- Chennai Super Kings wins: 20
- Kolkata Knight Riders wins: 11
- No Result: 1
Players to Watch
- Sanju Samson (CSK): Sanju Sasmon's season began on a horrible note as he got dismissed on the scores of 6,7 and 9 in the first three matches. The right handed batter was being ridiculed for his lackadaisical display for his new team. However the wicket-keeper batter bounced back to form with a brilliant hundred. Samson and CSK both will be breathing a little easy following the hundred.
- Angkrish Raghuvanshi (KKR): Angkrish Raghuvanshi is the team's leading run-scorer this season. The young batter began this season with back-to-back half-centuries. With other batters faltering, the onus could again be on him to get a big knock.
Possible XI
- CSK: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt.), Ayush Mhatre, Shivam Dube, Sarfaraz Khan, Dewlad Brevis, Jamie Overtone, Noor Ahmad, Anhsul Khamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurjanpreet Singh
- KKR: Ajinkya Rahane (capt.), Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Cameron Green, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Navdeep Saini, Kartik Tyagi
LIVE Telecast
The match will be broadcasted live on the Star Sports television channels.
LIVE Stream
CSK vs KKR can also be streamed LIVE on the JioHotstar app and website.
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