The Punjab Kings (PBKS) travel to Tamil Nadu to take on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match 7 of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the iconic M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on Friday, April 3.
PBKS had a winning start to their 2026 season, beating the Gujarat Titans (GT) in their opening game in New Chandigarh. The 2025 finalists bowled first in the game, restricting GT to 162 from 20 overs. Vijaykumar Vyshak was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets, while Yuzvendra Chahal ended up with two scalps to his name.
In reply, PBKS had a nervy start, losing Priyash Arya early. Following a strong partnership between Cooper Connolly and Prabhsimran Singh, the Punjab-based outfit lost their way, falling to 118 for 6. Connolly, however, kept the scoreboard ticking in the right direction, with his 72 not out taking Shreyas Iyer’s side to a three-wicket victory.
PBKS have a strong core of Indian batters and bowlers to go along with their overseas all-rounders in the form of Marcus Stoinis and Marco Jansen. The two-time IPL finalists are expected to keep the same core when they face CSK at Chepauk on Friday.
Here is PBKS’ strongest predicted XI vs CSK, Match 7, IPL 2026:
Top order: Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly
PBKS have an excellent top order, comprising three young batters who have a fearless approach to their game. Both Prabhsimran and Connolly showed their prowess against GT, where they registered a 76-run partnership, with the Australian ending up with the Player of the Match award for his unbeaten 72.
Arya, on the other hand, had a disappointing start to the new season. The 24-year-old, however, scored 475 runs last time around at a strike-rate of nearly 180.
Middle order: Shreyas Iyer (C), Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen
PBKS’ middle order has a number of hard-hitting batters, capable of scoring big runs in the middle overs when the field is spread out and when the spinners are in operation. The beauty of their middle order is the flexibility, as after Shreyas Iyer anyone can bat anywhere in the batting order depending on the situation.
Iyer is the talismanic leader of the team. The captain scored 604 runs in 2025 at an average of 50.33 whilst striking at 175. Punjab then have a strong core of finishers, comprising Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, and Marco Jansen, allowing them to bat all the way down to number eight.Â
Bowlers: Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep Singh is, without a doubt, the spearhead of PBKS’ bowling department. The left-arm pacer, however, tends to be expensive at times, but there is no doubt about his ability to take early wickets if there is some assistance from the surface. Punjab Kings also have Yuzvendra Chahal in their ranks, who is most likely their first-choice player to be used as an Impact Sub.
Punjab Kings predicted playing XI:
Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (C), Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh
Impact Player: Yuzvendra Chahal/Yash Thakur
