Punjab Kings beat Chennai Super Kings by 5 wickets
Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 5 wickets at Chepauk Stadium in this IPL 2026 clash on Friday. Batting first, CSK put up a solid 209, but Punjab chased it down before the end of the 19th over, picking up their second win in a row. Skipper Shreyas Iyer stepped up big time with a 50-run match-winning knock.
After losing the toss, Chennai had to bat. Ayush Mhatre gave them a boost with his 73 and Sarfaraz Khan chipped in with a blistering 32. Shivam Dube finished strong, ending not out on 45. Their combined effort took Chennai to a big total of 209 on the board.
Punjab’s reply was all about fireworks at the top. Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh came out swinging, putting on 61 runs in just over 4 overs. Priyansh hammered 39 off only 11 balls. Prabhsimran was looking solid too until a run out ended his night on 43. Heading into the last 10 overs, Punjab still needed 107, but then Shreyas Iyer went after the bowling, smashing 4 boundaries and 3 sixes to notch up his 50 off 29 balls.
Meanwhile, MS Dhoni missed his second straight match because of injury and CSK are really feeling his absence. After losing badly to Rajasthan Royals, they’ve now lost back-to-back games without their talisman. Punjab punched them down by 5 wickets and Chennai sits at the bottom of the table.
Sunil Gavaskar worried over Cameron Green’s role at KKR
Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar suggested on Friday that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) should consider bringing in another specialist batsman, as the limited role played by all-rounder Cameron Green has disrupted the team’s balance in this IPL season.
Green was acquired at the auction for ₹25.20 crore that effectively replacing the retired Andre Russell. But he was unable to bowl in KKR’s first two matches due to Cricket Australia’s workload management protocols. This situation did not sit well with the team management.
Gavaskar said, “KKR will need to think about their combination if Cameron Green is not going to bowl. If he isn’t contributing with the ball, then they might have to consider bringing in another specialist batter. We know he has scored a hundred in the IPL and that he can bat well, but his form hasn’t been great recently. Yes, he scored a hundred in a red-ball game in Australia not long ago, but this is where the team needs to look closely at the numbers. Green at No. 4 is fine, but the bigger concern seems to be the No. 5 and No. 6 positions, where they appear to be struggling a bit.”
“PBKS players know how to handle the pressure: Shreyas Iyer”
The Punjab Kings narrowly missed out to win the IPL title last season. But now they are in no mood to leave any stone unturned this time around. They have showcased their explosive batting prowess right from the very start of the tournament. After defeating Gujarat in their opening match, the Kings arrived in Chennai and secured their second consecutive victory by defeating the host team by 5 wickets.
After the win PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer said, “Well, obviously, there’s a worry before getting onto the field, but the way we started today, I think that was an exceptional start for us. Priyansh and Prab doing the job at the start and then setting the bench for us going inside. And I personally feel that the way they’ve been batting over years now, it’s phenomenal to see them giving us that start and it stabilizes the rhythm for us. Yes, absolutely. I’m glad that everyone is getting to bat in the first two games itself. That gives immense confidence for the team as well. So that, you know, whenever we are stuck in a pressure situation, people are aware of how to handle it.”
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