Chennai Super Kings are still without their iconic player MS Dhoni, who is recovering from a calf injury. In their recent game against Kolkata Knight Riders, CSK kept the same lineup as their previous match, sticking with the winning team composition.
CSK emerged victorious in their last game against Delhi Capitals, thanks to a stellar performance by Sanju Samson, who scored the first century of the 2026 Indian Premier League season. Riding on Samson’s brilliant century, CSK defeated DC by 23 runs in a home game on April 11.
On the other hand, KKR welcomed back Varun Chakravarthy into their squad after the spinner was sidelined since the team’s second match of the season due to a finger injury sustained while taking a catch against SRH. Varun returned to action in the game at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on April 14, replacing pacer Navdeep Saini in the playing XI.
The playing XIs for CSK and KKR were as follows:
– Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi
– Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Khaleel Ahmed
MS Dhoni’s absence is due to a calf strain sustained during practice before CSK’s opening game in the IPL. While Dhoni has been batting in the nets, the team is taking a cautious approach in reintroducing him to the lineup.
In Dhoni’s absence, Sanju Samson has taken up wicketkeeping duties for CSK and has displayed promising form, especially with his innings against Delhi Capitals.
KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and chose to bowl first at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Rahane emphasized the importance of staying positive and building confidence, despite the team’s recent results, aiming for a strong start in the match.
Rahane’s KKR team is eager to secure their first win of the IPL 2026 season.