IPL 2026: Shreyas Iyer wins toss, PBKS opt to bowl against CSK

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer (Pic: AFP)

Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who are coming into this match after an opening game defeat. Punjab Kings (PBKS), meanwhile, are looking to win their second match in a row.

In the opening match, CSK were defeated by the Rajasthan Royals. The Men in Yellow will aim to bounce back against the Punjab franchise in front of their home crowd. On the other hand, PBKS are fresh from their win against the Gujarat Titans.

This will be Sanju Samson's home debut for CSK after moving from Rajasthan Royals. The wicketkeeper-batter will look to start with a bang and continue his good form from the T20 World Cup.

After winning the toss, Iyer said that he expects a fresh wicket for the match.

"We will bowl first. It's their first match on home ground, the pressure will be on them regarding how things go. I just want to remain positive, composed, and cool while talking, avoiding negativity. It gives us immense confidence considering the line-up we have; they have a good team playing consistently, and we just want to play to the best of our ability. We are playing the same team." Iyer stated.

Meanwhile, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad said he was happy to bat first. The star opener added that he hopes to turn things around after the opening defeat.

Playing XI for both teams:

CSK: Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed

PBKS: Prabhsimran Singh(w), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer(c), Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal