KOLKATA, APRIL 14, 2026: Super Kings (CSK) will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 22nd match of the Indian Premier League 2026 on April 14 at 7:30 PM at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Both teams are desperately trying to bounce back in the league after struggling at the bottom of the table. There is a possibility of the much-awaited return of MS Dhoni for today’s match for CSK, while on the other side, Varun Chakravarthy is also likely to return today after missing the last two match for KKR. Another positive update for KKR’s bowling lineup is the improving fitness of Matheesha Pathirana, who is expected to return soon and further strengthen their squad.
CSK made a comeback in their last match against DC in the league, registering their first win of the season after losing three matches in a row. Sanju Samson returned to form and played a brilliant knock of 115 off 56 balls. The bowling unit also performed well, with excellent contributions from Jamie Overton, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, and Khaleel Ahmed. With that performance, the team now looks more balanced and currently holds the 9th position on the table with 2 points. On the other hand, KKR are still searching for their first win of the season. They have played four matches with no wins and have collected just 1 point due to a match being abandoned because of rain (KKR vs PBKS). They are currently placed 10th on the table. In their last match, they played a very close game against LSG, losing by just 1 run. KKR’s inconsistency in both batting and bowling has been a major concern. However, Cameron Green is trying to regain form as an all-rounder, contributing with both bat and ball. Sunil Narine has performed excellently, while Rovman Powell also made useful contributions in the last match. Still, their pace bowling remains a concern.
MS Dhoni has missed all four matches for CSK this season due to a calf strain and is also expected to miss the fifth game. MS Dhoni had a short batting session in the nets ahead of the CSK vs KKR match, but he is still expected not to play in today’s game. Dhoni stayed in Chennai for rehabilitation and did not travel with the squad for away fixtures. Fans had marked April 14 as his expected return date, but recent indications from the Super Kings camp suggest that his comeback may be delayed. For KKR, Varun Chakravarthy is expected to return after missing two matches due to a finger injury sustained during the SRH vs KKR game, although there is no official confirmation yet. Another positive update is that Matheesha Pathirana has cleared the mandatory fitness test by Sri Lanka Cricket and is expected to receive a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to participate in the tournament. However, he is not expected to play today’s match and is likely to return on April 19 against RR.
In IPL history, CSK and KKR have played 34 matches, with CSK winning 21, KKR winning 12, and one match ending with no result.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Squad:
Ruturaj Gaikwad, MS Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Urvil Patel, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar, Spencer Johnson.
Predicted Playing XI for CSK:
Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Squad:
Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Finn Allen, Tejasvi Singh, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Rovman Powell, Anukul Roy, Cameron Green, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, Ramandeep Singh, Sunil Narine, Blessing Muzarabani, Vaibhav Arora, Matheesha Pathirana, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Saurabh Dubey, Navdeep Saini, Umran Malik, Varun Chakravarthy.
Predicted Playing XI for CSK:
Ajinkya Rahane (c), Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Navdeep Saini, Kartik Tyagi, Vaibhav Arora.
The weather in Chennai is expected to be clear with no rain forecast. The evening conditions will be warm and humid at around 27°C with partly cloudy skies. Dew may develop later, which could favor the team batting second.
The pitch at MA Chidambaram Stadium is expected to be slightly tricky this season. Traditionally, it supports spinners, but IPL 2026 has also seen high-scoring matches here, with totals around or above 200. Early in the match, batting is easier due to decent bounce, but as the game progresses, the surface slows down and starts assisting spinners, making stroke play more difficult. Overall, it is a balanced pitch—good for batting first, but bowlers, especially spinners, become more effective in the middle overs. After their recent win, CSK will look to continue their momentum, while KKR will be desperate to fight back and secure their first win of the season.
