Punjab Kings stick with unchanged XI at Chepauk while Chennai Super Kings hand debut to ₹14.2 crore signing Prashant Veer

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

Punjab Kings (PBKS) continued their strong run of fortune at the MA Chidambaram Stadium as captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their IPL 2026 clash. The decision comes on a Chepauk surface expected to favour batters, with plenty of runs on offer. PBKS have also enjoyed recent success at this venue, winning their last three encounters against CSK here.

PBKS have gone in with an unchanged playing XI, showing confidence in their current combination. Young batter Priyansh Arya is expected to feature as an Impact Player during the match, adding flexibility to their batting lineup.

On the other hand, Chennai Super Kings have made a notable change by handing an IPL debut to 20-year-old left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Prashant Veer. The franchise secured Veer for a massive ₹14.2 crore at the auction, and he now gets his first opportunity alongside fellow high-value signing Kartik Sharma. To accommodate Veer in the playing XI, CSK have left out overseas allrounder Matthew Short.

With CSK opting to bat first, it appears unlikely that Short will play any role in the game. The team has fielded only two overseas players in the starting XI, leaving room for either Jamie Overton or Rahul Chahar to be introduced later as an Impact Player, depending on match conditions.

CSK will also miss the services of key players MS Dhoni and Dewald Brevis, who remain sidelined due to injuries. Dhoni is recovering from a calf issue, while Brevis is dealing with a side strain, both of which have ruled them out of this contest.

Playing XIs:

Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed.

Impact Player Options: Jamie Overton, Rahul Chahar, Matthew Short, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Gurjapneet Singh.

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

Impact Player Options: Suryansh Shedge, Priyansh Arya, Vishnu Vinod, Pravin Dubey, Harpreet Brar.