After a one-sided encounter yesterday between RR and CSK, in which RR secured an 8-wicket win, chasing down 128 in just 12.1 overs, the focus now shifts to the challenge between the two captains Shreyas for Punjab and Shubman for Gujarat both aiming to start IPL 2026 with a win.
As last season’s runners-up, they will aim to replicate that performance while encouraging young players to express themselves, just as they did under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer. With Arshdeep and Yuzi Chahal in the squad, they bring valuable experience to guide the team. It has also been confirmed by the camp that Cooper will bat at No. 3, which means Shreyas Iyer may move down to No. 4.
Punjab Kings Probable XI: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Xavier Bartlett, Yuzvendra Chahal
Impact Players: Harpreet Brar, Azmatullah Omarzai, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Vijaykumar Vyshak
Injured/Not Available Players: as of now there are no injury reports in the Punjab camp.
For Gujarat, the strong top order of Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler once again carries the responsibility of scoring big runs, just as they did in previous seasons. Sai, an Orange Cap holder in the previous season, will be eager to continue his form, while world-class bowlers like Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, and Mohammed Siraj form a strong bowling attack that Gujarat will rely on.
Gujarat Titans Probable XI: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Sai Kishore, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj
Impact Players: Jason Holder, Kumar Kushagra, Shahrukh Khan, Ishant Sharma
Injured/Not Available Players: as of now there are no injury reports in the Gujarat camp.
Watch Live Streaming: Fans can watch the CSK vs RR match live on the app and website of JioHotstar.
Toss Time: 7:00 PM
Head to Head: Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Gujarat Titans (GT) are evenly matched in their IPL head-to-head record, with both teams winning 3 out of 6 matches. The contests between them have been closely fought. The most recent high-scoring game in 2025 saw PBKS post a big total of 243/5 and narrowly defeat GT.
Pitch report: PCA New Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh, Typically provides conditions that favor batters, often resulting in high-scoring matches. 170 was the average first-innings score in six matches at this venue during the 2025 season of the IPL.
Consistent batters versus explosive batters, and Mullanpur will witness some exciting games, with players like Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Jos Buttler, and Shashank Singh looking to exploit the conditions. Both teams have experienced bowlers like Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Marco Jansen for Punjab, while Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, and Mohammed Siraj represent Gujarat, making the match more competitive and interesting.