IPL 2024, CSK vs PBKS: Punjab Kings Win Toss, Opt To Field In Battle Of Kings; Check Playing XIs

Chennai: In the 49th match of the IPL 2024, Punjab Kings (PBKS) will face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk as both teams vie for crucial points to bolster their playoff hopes. CSK, currently tied in the mid-table with 10 points, seek to break free from the deadlock. PBKS, with 6 points, aim to climb from their eighth position on the ladder.

CSK enter the match buoyed by their recent dominant victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Chepauk, where the pitch favoured bowlers. The spotlight is on their skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, in stellar form, along with Daryl Mitchell and Shivam Dube, as potent forces in the lineup.

PBKS, riding on momentum from their record chase against Kolkata Knight Riders, will look to replicate their batting prowess. Jonny Bairstow, Shashank Singh, and Prabhsimran Singh are key players to watch, with hopes pinned on a stronger performance from Jitesh Sharma. However, their bowling lineup appears somewhat shaky despite experienced campaigners like Kagiso Rabada and Sam Curran.

In their head-to-head encounters, CSK holds a slight advantage with 16 wins out of 29 games against PBKS.

The Chepauk pitch typically favours spinners, but recent high-scoring matches with dew suggest batting second could be slightly advantageous.

Playing XIs

Chennai Super Kings: Ajinkya Rahane, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Daryl Mitchell, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w), Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Richard Gleeson, Mustafizur Rahman

CSK Impact Subs: Sameer Rizvi, Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh, Shaik Rasheed, Prashant Solanki

Punjab Kings: Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran(c), Rilee Rossouw, Shashank Singh, Jitesh Sharma(w), Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh

PBKS Impact Subs: Prabhsimran Singh, Liam Livingstone, Rishi Dhawan, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Harpreet Singh Bhatia