Delhi: Match 22 of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) is being played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, where Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are face to face. This match is considered very important for both the teams, because both the teams are currently at the bottom position in the points table. In such a situation, it is important for both to win.

Chennai Super Kings trying to make a comeback

Chennai Super Kings performed brilliantly in their last match and broke the three-match losing streak by defeating Delhi Capitals by 23 runs. In that match, Sanju Samson played an excellent inning of 115 not out, while young player Ayush Mhatre played a brilliant inning of 59 runs to take the team to a strong score. This victory has boosted the confidence of the team and now they have come with the intention of maintaining the same rhythm on the home ground.

Got new confidence in bowling

In the bowling department, Jamie Overton had a brilliant performance by taking 4 wickets against Delhi Capitals.

His bowling proved important in Chennai’s victory. The team management is hoping that by taking advantage of the home conditions, Chennai Super Kings will once again move forward on the path of victory and give happiness to their fans.

Bad start for Kolkata Knight Riders

The journey of Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026 has been very disappointing so far. The team has not been able to win even a single match so far and along with three defeats, one match remained inconclusive due to rain.

Captain Ajinkya Rahane is constantly looking for the right combination to give the team its first win and get the campaign back on track.

Expectations from foreign players, but lack of continuity

The team has definitely got some good performances from foreign players like Cameron Green and Finn Allen, but the lack of continuity in the entire team combination is clearly visible. The problem of not being able to finish the match on important occasions remains the biggest challenge for Kolkata Knight Riders, due to which the team is under constant pressure.

Chennai’s dominance and tough challenge in Chepauk

Chepauk Stadium has always been considered the stronghold of Chennai Super Kings. In the 34 matches between the two teams so far, Chennai Super Kings have won 21 times, while Kolkata Knight Riders have won only 12 matches. However, this time a little extra bounce is being seen in the pitch, which can make the match exciting.

Keep an eye on Kolkata’s spin duo

Kolkata Knight Riders have high hopes from their strong spin pair Sunil Narine and Varun Chakraborty in this match. Both these bowlers can have a big impact in the conditions of Chepauk and have the ability to change the course of the match.

In such a situation, the team hopes that they will be able to give a tough competition to Chennai on their home ground.

Doubt over Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s return

All eyes are on the team sheet of Chennai Super Kings, especially to see whether Mahendra Singh Dhoni will return to the field after recovering from his calf injury. His availability can greatly affect the balance of the match.

Toss:

Kolkata Knight Riders have won the toss and decided to bowl first.

Playing XI released, Chennai and Kolkata face to face

Kolkata Knight Riders have expressed confidence in Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wicketkeeper), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakraborty, Vaibhav Arora and Karthik Tyagi for this match.

At the same time, Chennai Super Kings have given chances to Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dubey, Dewald Brewis, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapaneet Singh and Khalil Ahmed.

Captains’ statement after the toss

Ruturaj Gaikwad said that if he had got a chance, he would have chosen to bowl first, but the pitch is not going to change much in the entire match, so batting first will also be equally challenging. He told that defending 210 runs against Delhi last time brought a lot of confidence to the team, especially the bowling and fielding units performed brilliantly. Gaikwad also made it clear that the team is fielding with the same combination today and the right balance is gradually being found, in which the return of Devold Brevis and his contribution in the middle overs has been important.

At the same time, Ajinkya Rahane said that the team wanted to bowl first and even though they did not win the last match, the performance has given confidence to the players. He stressed that small moments are very important in T20 and the team will have to remain positive and capitalize on every opportunity. Rahane told that today a change has been made in the team, where Varun Chakraborty has returned to the playing eleven after being fit and has joined in place of Navdeep Saini.

Impact subs list released

Kolkata Knight Riders have included Finn Allen, Manish Pandey, Tejasvi Dahiya, Tim Seifert and Navdeep Saini in their impact subs.

The names of Matthew Short, Akeal Hosein, Karthik Sharma, Prashant Veer and Matt Henry are included in the impact subs list of Chennai Super Kings.