The Indian Premier League 2025 will continue its high-voltage action as Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) square off in Match 22 on Tuesday, April 8, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium in Mullanpur. Delhi Capitals remain the only team unbeaten at home (and away). Every other side has suffered at least one home loss – 10 out of 19 matches so far have been lost by the home teams – with Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad faring the worst.
Reeling from three consecutive defeats, their campaign is in early disarray and CSK will be desperate to course-correct. Their opponents, Punjab Kings (PBKS), haven’t had it easy either at home, enduring their fifth successive loss at the new Chandigarh stadium, carrying on from last season. Now as they get set to play their second home game this season, PBKS will be hoping to decode the conditions better and rediscover their winning touch.
PBKS vs CSK : Previous Performances
Punjab Kings started their season with back-to-back wins against Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants. However, their unbeaten run was snapped by Rajasthan Royals in their most recent clash in Mullanpur. The Shreyas Iyer-led side would be looking to get back to winning ways on Tuesday.
Among the most balanced sides in this IPL, PBKS perhaps misread the conditions in the previous match against Rajasthan Royals, under-utilising their spinners – a lapse later acknowledged by spin coach Sunil Joshi. They ended up conceding the first 200-plus total in the IPL in Mullanpur and then lost early wickets that left them far short of the target.
It was a collective off-day, and skipper Shreyas Iyer was thankful it came early in their campaign. But PBKS can take heart from Nehal Wadhera’s impressive spin-hitting skills and a promising knock from Glenn Maxwell.
Chennai Super Kings have struggled so far in IPL 2025. They had a flying to the season, beating arch-rivals Mumbai Indians in their first match. However, they have succumbed to three consecutive defeats with experts and fans questioning their intent to win games. The Men in Yellow would want to end the losing streak with matches coming thick and fast.
In contrast to PBKS, who have largely been on point this season barring the slip-up against RR, CSK have looked completely out of sorts. They have conceded over 180 in three games bowling first on slowish pitches and struggled in run-chases, with all three departments misfiring. Having already used all seven overseas players and 17 squad members at some point in their four matches, CSK are clearly grappling with issues of balance and adaptability – problems they must solve quickly or risk falling behind.
PBKS vs CSK : Head to Head
CSK have a 16-14 record against PBKS but the latter have found a lot of success in recent years, having won 4 out of five matches since 2022.
| Matches | 30 |
| Won by Punjab Kings | 14 |
| Won by Chennai Super Kings | 16 |
| No Result | 00 |
| First Faceoff | 19 April 2008 |
| Previous Faceoff | 5 May 2024 |
PBKS vs CSK : Pitch and Weather Report
The first match played at Mullanpur in IPL 2025 saw Rajasthan Royals scoring 205/4 before they restricted Punjab to 155/9. After the match, Shreyas noted that the pitch was holding a bit and a target around 180-185 would have been ideal for them. In the six IPL games played in Mullanpur, the average first-innings score is 174. Teams batting first have won three games and so have chasing teams.
RR’s batting approach in the previous game in Mullanpur could well serve as a blueprint for teams at this venue. They paced their innings smartly – starting steadily, preserving wickets, and accelerating in the second half – to post a 200-plus total. With dew having little impact in the second innings, captains might now be more inclined to bat first after winning the toss.
RR breached the 200-run mark at the venue in the previous game. Mullanpur is among the bigger venues in terms of ground dimensions. Also, temperatures in the region have touched 37 degrees Celsius. Sunil Joshi, PBKS assistant coach, expects the surface to play slower, but not necessarily lower.
PBKS vs CSK : Big Picture : 2025 going the 2020 and 2022 way for CSK
Twice in the last five years, poor starts have spelt doom for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). IPL 2025 is showing signs of heading the same way. In 2020, CSK lost three of their first four matches and stumbled to a ninth-place finish with just six wins. In 2022, they opened with four consecutive defeats and ended ninth again, this time with only four wins.
Everything that could go wrong for them this season has, starting with the apparent lack of home advantage, according to coach Stephen Fleming. Rahul Tripathi and Deepak Hooda, two big Indian signings, have failed to deliver and have already been dropped from the XI.
Their refusal to back young Indian talent – like Shaik Rasheed and C Andre Siddharth – has left CSK’s batting heavily dependent on their overseas signings and Ruturaj Gaikwad. To make matters worse, Gaikwad isn’t even batting in his preferred position at the top of the order, where he won the Orange Cap during CSK’s title-winning campaign in 2021.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) may not be in as deep a hole as CSK, but have had their own battles, particularly at home. Mullanpur hasn’t been a high-scoring venue, and PBKS have managed just one win in six matches there in two seasons. Unlike CSK, they split their home games across two venues, making the task of adapting even more demanding.
PBKS are coming off a tough home loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR), but they started the season with two commanding wins. Unlike CSK, their Indian core – led by Shreyas Iyer – is firing. Under new coach Ricky Ponting, there’s a clear belief in youth, with players like Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya and Nehal Wadhera getting consistent backing. It’s a stark contrast to CSK’s cautious approach.
CSK thrive on slower conditions, and the surface in Mullanpur could play right into their hands. RR showcased how effective spin could be here, using all three of their spinners – Maheesh Theekshana, Kumar Kartikeya and Wanindu Hasaranga – to great effect. Even Sandeep Sharma’s mix of slower balls and yorkers proved difficult to put away. Maybe CSK will feel a lot more at home here.
PBKS vs CSK : In the spotlight: Yuzvendra Chahal and Shivam Dube
Yuzvendra Chahal hasn’t bowled his full quota in two of the three games so far this season, while picking up just one wicket. Chahal’s lack of assistance off the surface in a game where RR employed three spinners with winning returns could potentially be worrisome. Against CSK, he’ll have to counter the possibility of bowling to a succession of left-handers which could add to his challenge.
CSK have been the slowest scoring side in the powerplay this season. It’s against this backdrop that Shivam Dube‘s lack of runs make their situation quite dire. Dube has a top score of 19 in four innings, and hasn’t been able to stamp his authority against spin, a role he thrived in during their title-winning season in 2023.
PBKS vs CSK : Vital Stats that matters
- CSK have lost five out of their last six matches against PBKS.
- CSK have the lowest powerplay run rate (7.5) and overall run rate (8.1) in IPL 2025.
- The three wickets picked up by PBKS spinners are the least among all teams this season.
- Arshdeep Singh has had a favourable match-up against Devon Conway having dismissed him three times in four innings.
- CSK have the lowest scoring rate (7.50), lowest average (22.50) and lowest boundary percentage (17.24 %) among all teams in the powerplay in this IPL
- Since May 2024, Dube has been dismissed by spin six times in eight innings he faced spin. In comparison, in the 21 previous innings where he faced spin he was dismissed only five times
- MS Dhoni averages only 13.80 in CSK’s wins since 2023 while his average in losses goes up to 90.67. He has not scored a single boundary in a successful run chase in this period
- Â PBKS have a win percentage of only 13.3 at home since 2023, with SRH’s 43.8 being the second lowest
PBKS vs CSK : Team News for PBKS and CSK
Punjab Kings:
Injury & availability: The home side currently have no reported injury concerns, but they might consider a tweak to their line-up by bringing in an additional spinner. Harpreet Brar could be drafted into the XI in place of Suryansh Shedge. Suryansh Shedge has the potential to be a finisher, but at PBKS, he has so far had very little to do. He has batted just once and hasn’t bowled a single over. Perhaps there’s a case for them to consider Harpreet Brar, who offers batting depth in addition to his left-arm spin.
Tactics & match-ups:Â Iyer, Wadhera and Maxwell will be PBKS’ key batters against CSK’s spin trio. Wadhera has scored 79 runs off 48 balls at a strike rate of 165 against spin so far while Maxwell also enjoys a good strike rate against R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Noor Ahmad, although he has been dismissed seven times by the left-arm spinner.
PBKS Probable Playing XII: 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
Chennai Super Kings:
Injury & availability:Â CSK also don’t have any injury concerns at the moment. Even Ruturaj Gaikwad, who had an elbow injury scare before their last match against DC, featured in that game and also looked fine batting in the nets ahead of the game against PBKS. Meanwhile, CSK could look at leaving out Mukesh Choudhary, who had an expensive outing last time around, and bring in Anshul Kamboj if they want to stick to the same overseas line-up they had last time.
Tactics & match-ups:Â CSK have struggled to find strong starts with the bat this season, which might prompt a reshuffle in their batting order. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who averages 44 as an opener compared to 23.55 in the middle order, could benefit from a return to the top of the order. Meanwhile, Shivam Dube could have an important role to play against Yuzvendra Chahal, who has struggled against left-handed batters, having conceded 303 runs at an economy rate of 10.95 against southpaws in the IPL since 2024.
CSK Probable Playing XII: 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
PBKS vs CSK Fantasy XI : Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Matheesha Pathirana, Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson (vc), Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed
PBKS vs CSK : Probable Best Performers
Probable Best Batter: Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer scored 97* (42) and 52* (30) deliveries in the first two games. Against the Royals, the Mumbai batter hit two boundaries before being dismissed for 10. Shreyas has looked in sublime touch and would want to bounce back after the rare blip in the last game.
Probable Best Bowler: Noor Ahmad
Noor Ahmad’s performance so far in IPL 2025 has been a silver lining for CSK. The Afghanistan spinner has picked up 10 wickets from four games at an average of 11.80. He is the current Purple Cap holder. He will hold the key through the middle overs for the visitors.
PBKS vs CSK : Match Prediction
Scenario 1
- Punjab Kings win the toss and bowl
- PP Score: 45-55
- CSK: 170-190
- Punjab Kings win the match
Scenario 2
- Chennai Super Kings win the toss and bowl
- PP Score: 50-60
- PBKS: 180-200
- Chennai Super Kings win the match
Also Read:Â KKR vs LSG : KKR Brace For LSG’s Pinch Hitters