CSK vs PBKS Live Score, IPL 2026: Punjab Kings (PBKS) won the toss and elected to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the second match of both teams of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday.
After winning the toss and choosing to bowl first, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer said he chose to bowl first because the pitch looked new and he wanted to evaluate his behavior early. He added that PBKS is confident of their strong line-up and momentum from the previous match, while also acknowledging CSK as a consistently strong team, and stressed on focusing on playing their best cricket.
“I feel the wicket is new. It would be great to know how the wicket will play. So, based on that, I have taken this decision. (On their recent record against CSK) It gives us tremendous confidence considering the line-up we have. Also, the motivation that we got from the last match, we will definitely work on it today. They also have a tremendous team that has played great cricket consistently over the years. So, we just want to play to the best of our abilities and make sure we give our best today,” Iyer said in the presentation.
PBKS registered a three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in the opening match of the IPL 2026 campaign. In that match, Cooper Connolly, who was playing his first ever match in the Indian Premier League, scored an unbeaten 72 runs in a tough chase. PBKS will aim to continue the winning momentum and record their second straight win.
On the other hand, CSK received a decent defeat at the hands of Rajasthan Royals in their first match in the ongoing tournament. After CSK posted a meager 127 on the board batting first, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals smashed a 17-ball 52 to take his team over the line in just 12.1 overs, handing CSK an eight-wicket defeat. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led team will look to bounce back from the heavy loss and get their first points in IPL 2026.
The young CSK side had a tough outing at the lively Guwahati track, but come Chennai they may be a little relaxed with better batting conditions, while PBKS will benefit from the fact that they have won their last three matches at this venue and with the likes of Cooper Connelly firing, PBKS will be looking to make it four wins in a row.
CSK endured a disappointing campaign in IPL 2025, finishing at the bottom of the table, and were aiming for a fresh start this year. However, their campaign started poorly as they suffered a heavy defeat to Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. After being bowled out for just 127 in 19.4 overs, CSK saw Rajasthan comfortably chase the target in just 12.1 overs, losing just two wickets.
On the other hand, Punjab Kings (PBKS) opened their season with a hard-fought win over Gujarat Titans in Mullanpur. Led by Shreyas Iyer, PBKS restricted their opponents to 162/6 on a difficult pitch. Despite a shaky middle-order performance, Punjab managed to cross the finishing line in 19.1 overs with three wickets in hand.
Punjab Kings have had the upper hand in recent meetings between the two teams, winning six of their last seven encounters against CSK. However, the overall head-to-head record remains quite balanced, with both teams winning 16 of their 32 matches. CSK won their first ever encounter in April 2008, while PBKS were victorious in their last encounter in April 2025.