Chennai Super Kings return to their den, the MA Chidambaram Stadium, to face Punjab Kings in their second game in the IPL 2026 on Friday, April 3. CSK will look to their home fortress to register their first win of the season and also draw inspiration from stalwart MS Dhoni, who was spotted hitting the ground a day before the upcoming CSK vs PBKS match in Chennai.
The five-time champions kicked off their 2026 season without MS Dhoni and Dewald Brevis. Both were dealing with minor injury issues and were confirmed to miss the opening few matches.
With their former captain and the key overseas batter, the Super Kings were exposed against Rajasthan Royals in their opening match in Guwahati. The new star-opening pair of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson did not click, and youngsters Ayush Mhatre and Kartik Sharma failed to make any impact. As a result, Chennai were bowled out on 127 total after a fighting knock from bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton.
It is clear that Chennai’s batting attack looks less convincing without Dewald Brevis and MS Dhoni ahead of the CSK vs PBKS game. With the batting unit shattered at the moment, Brevis and Dhoni hit the nets ahead of the first home game in Chennai, prompting fans to wonder about the duo’s availability for the upcoming match.
MS Dhoni, Dewald Brevis available for CSK vs PBKS game?
MS Dhoni and Dewald Brevis did not travel to Guwahati for the opening game, but the duo was spotted training as the CSK kicked off their preparations for the next game.
Brevis faced throw-downs but did not bat against net bowlers, so the South African star is unlikely to feature in the upcoming CSK v PBKS game. With no Brevis in the middle order, the management is expected to stick with Matthew Short at No. 4 on Friday.
MS Dhoni was confirmed to miss at least two weeks of the IPL 2026, but he returned to training earlier than expected. The 44-year-old veteran was spotted doing the fitness drills and also batted in the nets. However, he looked cautious during the batting and also skipped the wicketkeeping drills.
So, MS Dhoni is unlikely to make the team for the CSK vs PBKS game at Chepauk on Friday.
CSK’s predicted playing XI vs PBKS
Prashant Veer was a notable absentee in CSK’s opening match against the Royals. The young spin all-rounder was signed for INR 14.2 crore as Ravindra Jadeja’s direct replacement. Rahul Chahar and Shreyas Gopal also played no part in the opening match as the CSK went with five fast bowlers and one pace all-rounder, Shivam Dube.
Chennai’s pitch is likely to tempt Gaikwad to go with at least one spin specialist for the CSK vs PBKS game. Chahar is expected to start in Anshul Kamboj’s place in the playing eleven, despite the latter’s impressive spell against Rajasthan in the last game.
In batting, Sarfaraz Khan is likely to come in as an impact player ahead of Prashant Veer. Kartik Sharma, another INR 14.2 crore signing, is tipped to hold his position as a finisher once again.
CKS Playing XI vs PBKS: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, Matthew Short, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed.
Also read: CSK vs PBKS Match Prediction
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