Chennai Super Kings, facing Punjab Kings on April 8 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, will be eager to reverse their current situation. Both teams find themselves under pressure in the early stages of IPL 2025, having endured tough starts to their campaigns.
Delhi Capitals set the benchmark.
While Delhi Capitals remain unbeaten both home and away, every other side has suffered at least one loss on home turf. Home advantage has been surprisingly absent this season, with 10 out of 19 games going in favour of visiting teams. Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings have been among the worst hit, with PBKS yet to win at home and CSK reeling from three straight defeats.
PBKS Seeks a Fresh Start at Home.
Punjab Kings make their way back to their home ground in Mullanpur for their second fixture, with the aim of mastering the challenging conditions that proved costly in their previous match against Rajasthan Royals. The bowling unit, particularly the spinners, failed to adapt, allowing RR to post the season’s first 200-plus total at this venue. Spin coach Sunil Joshi later admitted that the side under-utilised their slow bowlers. PBKS never recovered in the chase, losing early wickets and falling well short.
Despite the collective off-day, the form of Nehal Wadhera and Glenn Maxwell offers some positives. Wadhera has been impressive against spin, while Maxwell’s aggressive approach adds firepower to the middle order. With no major injury concerns, PBKS are likely to tweak their XI by bringing in spinner Harpreet Brar in place of Suryansh Shedge.
Probable XI (PBKS): Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Marcus Stoinis, Nehal Wadhera, Glenn Maxwell, Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, Yuzvendra Chahal.
CSK is experiencing difficulties in various departments.
The five-time champions, CSK, have been unrecognisable thus far this season. In three games, they have conceded more than 180 runs due to their inability to contain opposition batsmen on slower deliveries. Their batting is inconsistent, and even captain Ruturaj Gaikwad’s promotion hasn’t led to big scores.
In four games, CSK have shuffled through 17 different players and used all seven overseas options—an indication of the instability in their setup. They might consider bringing in Anshul Kamboj in place of Mukesh Choudhary, who was expensive in the previous outing.
The powerplay struggles of CSK are noteworthy—they have the lowest run rate (7.50), average (22.50), and boundary percentage (17.24%) in the first six overs of the season. Since 2023, MS Dhoni has failed to score a boundary in a successful pursuit, despite being CSK’s finisher.
Probable XI (CSK): Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Vijay Shankar, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary/Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana.
Venue Watch: Mullanpur’s Evolving Pattern
The pitch in Mullanpur played better for the team, which batted first in the last game, as seen when RR paced their innings well and capitalised in the second half. Dew hasn’t played a big role so far, which could tempt captains to bat first.
Head-to-Head : Recent Trends
CSK lead the head-to-head 16-14, but PBKS have dominated recent meetings, winning four out of the last five encounters since 2022. That psychological edge could prove crucial, especially given CSK’s current slump.
What They Said
PBKS assistant bowling coach Trevor Gonsalves said, “T20 is about performing on the day. CSK are a powerful side historically, and early struggles don’t define them.”
CSK’s assistant coach S Sriram echoed a calm tone: “It’s early in the tournament. Some teams take time to find the right combinations. We’re focusing on one game at a time.”
While both sides look to stabilise their campaigns, Tuesday’s match promises to be a pivotal encounter. For CSK, it’s about arresting the slide. For PBKS, it’s a chance to finally unlock success at home.
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