Punjab Kings lock horns with Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday, April 8, in Mullanpur.
PBKS vs CSK Match Details.
| Match | Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings, Match 22, IPL 2025 |
| Venue | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur |
| Date & Time | Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 7:30 PM (IST) |
| Live Broadcast and Streaming Details | Sports18/Star Sports Network, JioHotstar (app & website) |
Punjab Kings will host Chennai Super Kings in the upcoming 22nd match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday, April 8th. The mouthwatering face-off will take place at the Mullanpur Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh.
Delhi Capitals remain the only team unbeaten at home (and away). Every other side has suffered at least one home loss – 10 out of 19 matches so far have been lost by the home teams – with Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad faring the worst. Reeling from three consecutive defeats, their campaign is in early disarray and CSK will be desperate to course-correct. Their opponents, Punjab Kings, haven’t had it easy either at home, enduring their fifth successive loss at the new Chandigarh stadium, carrying on from last season. Now as they get set to play their second home game this season, PBKS will be hoping to decode the conditions better and rediscover their winning touch.
Among the most balanced sides in this IPL, PBKS perhaps misread the conditions in the previous match against Rajasthan Royals, under-utilising their spinners – a lapse later acknowledged by spin coach Sunil Joshi. They ended up conceding the first 200-plus total in the IPL in Mullanpur and then lost early wickets that left them far short of the target. It was a collective off-day, and skipper Shreyas Iyer was thankful it came early in their campaign. But PBKS can take heart from Nehal Wadhera’s impressive spin-hitting skills and a promising knock from Glenn Maxwell.
In contrast to PBKS, who have largely been on point this season barring the slip-up against RR, CSK have looked completely out of sorts. They have conceded over 180 in three games bowling first on slowish pitches and struggled in run-chases, with all three departments misfiring. Having already used all seven overseas players and 17 squad members at some point in their four matches, CSK are clearly grappling with issues of balance and adaptability – problems they must solve quickly or risk falling behind.
PBKS vs CSK Head-to-Head Record.
| Matches | 30 |
| Won by Punjab Kings | 14 |
| Won by Chennai Super Kings | 16 |
| No Result | 00 |
| First Faceoff | 19 April 2008 |
| Previous Faceoff | 5 May 2024 |
What to expect
RR’s batting approach in the previous game in Mullanpur could well serve as a blueprint for teams at this venue. They paced their innings smartly – starting steadily, preserving wickets, and accelerating in the second half – to post a 200-plus total. With dew having little impact in the second innings, captains might now be more inclined to bat first after winning the toss.
Team watch
Punjab Kings:
Injury & availability: The home side currently have no reported injury concerns, but they might consider a tweak to their line-up by bringing in an additional spinner. Harpreet Brar could be drafted into the XI in place of Suryansh Shedge.
Tactics & match-ups: Iyer, Wadhera and Maxwell will be PBKS’ key batters against CSK’s spin trio. Wadhera has scored 79 runs off 48 balls at a strike rate of 165 against spin so far. Maxwell also has a good strike rate against R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Noor Ahmad. However, he has been dismissed seven times by the left-arm spinner.
Probable XII: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Impact Player: Yuzvendra Chahal.
Chennai Super Kings:
Injury & availability: CSK also don’t have any injury concerns at the moment. Even Ruturaj Gaikwad, who had an elbow injury scare before their last match against DC, featured in that game and also looked fine batting in the nets ahead of the game against PBKS. Meanwhile, CSK could look at leaving out Mukesh Choudhary, who had an expensive outing last time around, and bring in Anshul Kamboj if they want to stick to the same overseas line-up they had last time.
Tactics & match-ups: CSK have struggled to find strong starts with the bat this season, which might prompt a reshuffle in their batting order. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who averages 44 as an opener compared to 23.55 in the middle order, could benefit from a return to the top of the order. Meanwhile, Shivam Dube could have an important role to play against Yuzvendra Chahal, who has struggled against left-handed batters, having conceded 303 runs at an economy rate of 10.95 against southpaws in the IPL since 2024.
Probable XII: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Vijay Shankar, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary/Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana
Impact Player: Matheesha Pathirana
Did you know?
– CSK have the lowest scoring rate (7.50), lowest average (22.50) and lowest boundary percentage (17.24 %) among all teams in the powerplay in this IPL
– Since May 2024, Dube has been dismissed by spin six times in eight innings he faced spin. In comparison, in the 21 previous innings where he faced spin he was dismissed only five times
– MS Dhoni averages only 13.80 in CSK’s wins since 2023 while his average in losses goes up to 90.67. He has not scored a single boundary in a successful run chase in this period
– PBKS have a win percentage of only 13.3 at home since 2023, with SRH’s 43.8 being the second lowest
What they said:
“I really do not see anything much changing in the wickets in just a 40-over game. There is nothing much to it. T20 is all about who does well on that given day. For example, if you see CSK, they have been one of the top teams but in the last few matches they have lost. That does not mean that they are a bad team or not doing well. And it is very early in the tournament now to judge anyone. We have just started” – Trevor Gonsalves[/b], PBKS assistant bowling coach.
“I think this is not the first time any team is going through this. Some teams get off to a good start and some teams take their own time to find their combinations and their roles, so I think it’s still very early stages, we will take it one day at a time and then plan for the next opposition more than anything else” – S Sriram, CSK assistant bowling coach.
Pitch Report & Weather Forecast:
The batting conditions at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium are decent, but fans should not expect exceptionally high scores on this pitch. As per the past records, scores of 180-190 at this ground have proven competitive. Spinners have also commanded attention in Mullanpur, boasting a healthy economy of seven. Mumbai Indians’ 192-run total from last season continues to be the highest score at this venue.The surface here will be a balanced one with good help for both pacers and spinners. Both teams will prefer chasing at this venue.
In Mullanpur expected weather is hot and dry. The day temperature will hover around 41 degrees, but at night, it will drop to 22 degrees. There is no probability of a thunderstorm during the game.
PBKS vs CSK Probable Best Performers.
Probable Best Batter: Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer scored 97* (42) and 52* (30) deliveries in the first two games. Against the RR, the Mumbai batter hit two boundaries before being dismissed for 10. Shreyas has looked in sublime touch and would want to bounce back after the rare blip in the last game.
Probable Best Bowler: Noor Ahmad
Noor Ahmad’s performance so far in IPL 2025 has been a silver lining for CSK. The Afghanistan spinner has picked up 10 wickets from four games at an average of 11.80. He is the current Purple Cap holder. He will hold the key through the middle overs for the visitors.
Today’s Match Prediction: Team bowling first to win the match.
Disclaimer: The prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.