Predictions, Dream11 teams & pitch reports — May 26 to 31
Bhai. BHAI. What just happened at Chepauk?! PBKS actually chased down 210 at CSK's fortress. 210! At Chepauk! My WhatsApp group literally exploded — 347 unread messages by the time the last ball was hit.
We had CSK winning this by 30+ runs easy. Chepauk par 210 defend nahi kar paaye? Yaar, that's not the CSK we know.
The Thala effect was there, obviously. Dhoni walked out for the toss and the crowd went mental — like they do every single time. But here's the thing nobody's talking about — CSK's spin attack that's supposed to be deadly at home? PBKS batters didn't care. They played those turners like it was a flat Wankhede road. Sam Curran smashing Jadeja over long-on? That one shot basically told everyone this wasn't going to be a normal Chepauk chase.
And look, I get that CSK posted 209/5 which is a massive total for this ground. The avg first innings score here is 165 — they beat that by 44 runs. Should've been enough.
But PBKS just... didn't care about the pitch report? They came in swinging from ball one. No fear. Rabada gave away runs but who cares when your batters are chasing like it's a video game.
Wait, let me go back to something — the dew. Second innings mein dew itna heavy tha that CSK spinners couldn't grip the ball properly. That's Chepauk in April for you. The humidity was brutal and it showed.
This loss stings for CSK fans ngl. But the season is long. 14 league games, plenty of time to bounce back. For all the upcoming fixtures, check our full IPL 2026 schedule.
Nobody saw this coming tbh. Punjab chased 210 at CSK's home ground and won by 5 wickets with 8 balls to spare. Our pre-match analysis is archived below — but yeah, we got the prediction wrong on this one. PBKS proved everyone wrong. Next up: DC vs MI live page.
So here's what our Dream11 team looked like before the match — and honestly, the picks weren't bad even though CSK lost. The all-rounders gave dual points as expected at Chepauk, and Jadeja still scored decent fantasy points despite the loss. One keeper, three batters, three all-rounders, four bowlers — that template works here because of how this pitch rewards versatility. For future match tips, check our Dream11 hub.
Our Dream11 team for CSK vs PBKS Match 7 (pre-match picks):
Chepauk is supposed to be a spin graveyard, right? That's what everyone says — slow pitch, ball grips and turns, 68m boundaries make sixes difficult. CSK literally built their dynasty on this surface. But tonight PBKS just laughed at the pitch and hit through the line like it was nothing. Wild.
Chennai in April is basically hell with cricket. 32-38°C and humidity that makes you sweat just sitting in the stands. Imagine bowling 4 overs in that. Players were dripping by the 10th over. And the dew — oh man, the dew completely killed CSK's spin in the second innings.
Turns out the dew was the real man of the match tonight. By the 8th over of the chase, the ball was basically a bar of soap. Theekshana couldn't grip his carrom ball, Jadeja's arm ball wasn't biting — and PBKS knew exactly what was happening. Smart from them to bowl first after winning the toss.
Okay real talk — the budget picks in this match were actually fire. Dube at under 8 credits got you batting AND bowling points. Arshdeep at his price? Steal. The thing about grand leagues is this: everyone picks Jadeja and Conway, but the guy who quietly picks Harpreet Brar at 7 credits and gets 45 fantasy points from him? That's the guy who wins. I've lost count of how many times a 7-credit pick outscored some 10-credit star who got out for a duck.
Prabhsimran as Captain turned out to be the right call. Yaar his Chepauk numbers are insane — he just attacks from ball one and doesn't care who's bowling. 2x points from this guy? Chef's kiss.
Conway for VC was the safe pick. He's not flashy but the guy just accumulates — catches behind the stumps give you bonus points too. Decent enough return even though CSK lost.
Everyone wanted to see this. Thala against KG. Two absolute legends going at it. Dhoni got a couple of good ones in but honestly Rabada controlled this battle — his bouncer to Dhoni in the 17th over was pure class. You could see Dhoni was thinking twice before going after him.
Ruturaj tried to take Curran on in the powerplay and got dropped on 12. That dropped catch changed everything — Ruturaj went on to score 60-odd. But then Sam Curran came out to bat and absolutely murdered CSK's bowling in the chase. So who won this matchup? Honestly, Curran. The all-round impact was crazy.
Dube hit a couple of big ones but Bairstow? Bro, Bairstow in T20 mode is terrifying. The way he reverse swept Jadeja for four — on a turning Chepauk pitch — you can't teach that. Dube's contribution mattered but Bairstow's knock was the one that broke CSK's back in the chase.
Source: ESPNcricinfo IPL Records
CSK came into this riding high — 4 wins in 5. That's why this loss hits different. At home. Defending 210. Against PBKS. Ruturaj will need to forget this quickly because the schedule doesn't stop.
Win-loss-win-loss-win. Classic PBKS rollercoaster. But this win at Chepauk? This could be the one that breaks the pattern and gives them real momentum. Chasing 210 away from home isn't hot-and-cold form — that's proper belief.
PBKS won the toss and chose to field. Turned out to be genius. See, our pre-match analysis said bat first because the pitch is better in the first innings — and that's usually true at Chepauk. But we didn't account for how brutal the dew would be tonight. PBKS read the conditions better than anyone, bowled their overs when the ball was dry and had grip, then chased under lights with a wet ball that CSK spinners couldn't control. Sometimes the "wrong" toss decision on paper is the right one when you actually know the ground.
Best move is to pick VC from the other team so you're covered either way. At Chepauk, all-rounders who bat top 5 and bowl their full quota work great — Jadeja, Curran, Dube type players. Dual points are king here.
Chepauk is a spin paradise normally — avg first innings score around 165, slow turners that grip. Jadeja and co. make it feel like a minefield. But this match proved that with dew, even Chepauk becomes battable in the second innings. Toss matters more here than most grounds.
Convention says bat first here. But PBKS won the toss, chose to field, and it worked out perfectly because of the dew. 55% of toss winners choose to field at Chepauk in recent IPL seasons — and after tonight, expect that number to go even higher.
Well... PBKS won! We had CSK favored because of home advantage and that spin attack. Got it wrong. Credit to Punjab — they showed no fear chasing 210 at the toughest venue in IPL. PBKS firepower is legit and they're not the same team that used to collapse in big chases.
Chepauk is spin territory — avg first innings score of 165 tells you everything. Middle overs here are hell for batsmen because spinners get turn and bounce. BUT with dew in the second innings, the grip goes away and suddenly batting becomes much easier. This match was proof of that.
Live on JioHotstar for streaming and Star Sports on TV in India. If you're abroad — Willow TV in the US, SuperSport for Africa, Sky Sports for the UK. Match is done obviously but highlights should be up by now.
Want more CSK and PBKS action? Both teams have some spicy fixtures coming up:
Dive deeper into these squads — who's in form, who's not, and what's the vibe:
Look, we got the match prediction wrong — CSK was our pick and PBKS proved us wrong. That's cricket, na? But our Dream11 picks still delivered decent points. We look at venue bias, batting order, role clarity and fantasy upside before making calls. Sometimes the prediction misses but the process is solid. Page maintained by Arjun Mehta.
