Chennai, April 14: In the 22nd match of IPL 2026, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) faced off against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the MA Chidambaram Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bowl first.
KKR made one change to their playing XI. Varun Chakravarthy returned to the team, replacing Navdeep Saini. After winning the toss, Rahane stated, “We would like to bowl first. I believe our last match was quite good for us. Unfortunately, the result did not go our way. However, I felt that the kind of cricket we played gave the players a lot of confidence from the previous match. It’s all about starting anew. When things aren’t going your way, it’s crucial to maintain that belief, stay positive, and understand the importance of those small moments in the T20 format. We have just one change; Varun Chakravarthy is fit and has come in for Navdeep Saini.”
On the other hand, CSK made no changes to their playing XI. After losing the toss, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad commented, “Yes, we would have bowled first as well. However, as I mentioned, there won’t be much change in the wicket throughout the match. So it doesn’t make a significant difference. Certainly, setting a big score in the first innings will be challenging, but it looks like a very good pitch. We have not made any changes to our playing XI.”
CSK opened their account in the tournament by defeating Delhi Capitals by 23 runs in their last match. Sanju Samson played a remarkable innings against Delhi, scoring a century with 115 runs off 56 balls, while Ayush Mhatre contributed with a strong 59 runs off 36 balls. In bowling, Jamie Overton excelled, taking 4 wickets for just 18 runs in 4 overs, while Anshul Kamboj also claimed 3 wickets.
Conversely, KKR currently sits at the bottom of the points table after four matches. Under Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy, KKR has played four matches, losing three and having one match end without a result. Against Lucknow Super Giants, Rahane scored a solid 41 runs off 24 balls, while Ankur Raghuwanshi added 45 runs off 33 balls. Cameron Green and Rovman Powell also made significant contributions with the bat. However, the team’s bowling attack has appeared quite weak this season.
CSK’s Playing XI: Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad (Captain), Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Sarfaraz Khan, Jamie Overton, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, and Gurjapneet Singh.
KKR’s Playing XI: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Ankur Raghuwanshi (Wicketkeeper), Cameron Green, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Ramandeep Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakravarthy, Kartik Tyagi, and Vaibhav Arora.
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