Picture Credit: BCCI
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won the toss and chose to bat first against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Match 63 of the Indian Premier League 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday. The team made one alteration to its line-up, bringing in Akeal Hosein, while MS Dhoni continued to sit out due to injury.
Following the toss, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad explained his decision, saying, “We are looking to bat first. Well, it’s nothing complicated, it’s just simple for us. Take it one game at a time, look to win this one, look to start well, look to assess the conditions well, and put your best foot forward.”
He further added, “Well, nothing, not as such, it’s just that we have to respect conditions and choose what’s best for the conditions. And yes, I think batting first looks good here now.”
Gaikwad also confirmed Dhoni’s absence, stating, “He’s still here, but he’s not fit enough to play this game. Hopefully we win this one, and you’ll have a low in the last game. We got just one chance. Akeal comes in for Gurjapneet.”
After losing the toss, SRH skipper Pat Cummins commented, “It’s T20 cricket, and it’s not easy every game. He knows it’s not going to work every game. We would have probably wanted to bowl. Same team as the last game.”
CSK currently sit sixth on the points table, having secured six wins and suffered six defeats from 12 matches.
Despite a difficult start that included three consecutive losses, they remain in contention for a playoff place.
The team enters this match after a seven-wicket defeat to Lucknow Super Giants. It must win both remaining fixtures to keep its hopes alive.
SRH, however, have bounced back impressively after losing three of their first four matches. They occupy third place with seven victories from 12 games.
A win in this encounter would significantly enhance their chances of progressing to the playoffs. They come into the match after an 87-run loss to the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Smaran Ravichandran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins (c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge.
Impact substitutes: Travis Head, Liam Livingstone, Aniket Verma, Harshal Patel, Harsh Dubey.
Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Spencer Johnson.
Impact substitutes: Gurjapneet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary, Azam Khan, Matthew Short, Sarfaraz Khan.
Also Read: IPL 2026: Mitchell Starc’s Four-Wicket Spell Restricts Rajasthan Royals To 193
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