IPL 2026: Shreyas Iyer Plays Captain's Knock As Punjab Thrash CSK For Second Consecutive Victory

Chennai: Punjab Kings defeated Chennai Super Kings by 5 wickets on Friday. Batting first in the match played at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Super Kings posted a total of 209 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 20 overs. In reply, Priyansh provided the team with an explosive start. Subsequently, powered by impressive innings from Cooper Connolly, Prabhsimran, and captain Shreyas Iyer, the Kings clinched the match with 8 balls to spare. Punjab scored 210 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 18.4 overs.

Chasing a target of 210 runs, Punjab Kings got off to a strong start. Priyansh Arya was dismissed after playing a blistering innings of 39 runs off just 11 balls. Prabhsimran contributed 43 runs off 34 balls, while Cooper Connolly added 36 runs off 22 balls. Captain Shreyas Iyer played an innings of 50 runs off 29 balls. Nehal could only manage to score 10 runs.

This marks Punjab Kings' second consecutive victory of the current season, while CSK has suffered its second consecutive defeat. Notably, Chennai Super Kings had to endure an 8-wicket defeat at the hands of Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their opening match. Conversely, Punjab Kings got off to a magnificent start to their campaign by defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) by 3 wickets.

What happened during the match?

Batting first on Friday, Chennai Super Kings scored 203 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 20 overs against Punjab Kings. For Chennai, Ayush Mhatre was the top scorer with 73 runs. Punjab Kings won the toss and elected to bowl first. Chennai Super Kings, coming out to bat, did not get off to a good start. In the second over, Xavier Bartlett dismissed Sanju Samson (7), securing the first breakthrough for Punjab. Ayush Mhatre, who came in to bat next, steadied the innings alongside captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.

The two batsmen added 96 runs for the second wicket. In the 12th over, Yuzvendra Chahal broke this partnership by dismissing Ruturaj Gaikwad. Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 28 runs off 22 balls, hitting two fours. In the very next over, Vijaykumar Vyshak claimed the wicket of Ayush Mhatre as well. Ayush Mhatre played an innings of 73 runs off 43 balls, smashing five sixes and six fours. Kartik Sharma was dismissed as the fourth wicket to fall, having scored just one run. Sarfaraz Khan scored 32 runs off 12 balls, smashing six fours and a six. He was dismissed by Vijaykumar Vyshak. The Chennai Super Kings posted a massive total of 209 runs for the loss of five wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Shivam Dube played an unbeaten innings of 45 runs off 27 balls, hitting five fours and a six. Prashant Veer remained unbeaten on six runs. For the Punjab Kings, Vijaykumar Vyshak claimed two wickets, while Xavier Bartlett, Marco Jansen, and Yuzvendra Chahal each dismissed one batsman.

What were the playing XIs?

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

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