Chennai keep waiting on MS Dhoni as Gujarat mount comeback bid

After a couple of thrilling encounters on Saturday, the stage is set for Super Sunday, promising an action-packed finish to the weekend in IPL 2026. The Gujarat Titans take on the Chennai Super Kings in the first game of the day at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, followed by a clash between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium.

The Super Kings are brimming with confidence after their record win over the Mumbai Indians. The Titans, meanwhile, have lost two matches on the trot and will be eager to bounce back. In the second game, the Knight Riders will look to build on their recent win, while the Super Giants find themselves in a precarious spot.

On a four-match losing streak, Rishabh Pant’s men are in desperate need of a turnaround. However, with KKR also struggling for consistency, LSG will fancy their chances of arresting the slide.

WILL MS DHONI RETURN?

The Super Kings have played half their matches in IPL 2026, but there are still no signs of MS Dhoni for now. Dhoni has been dealing with a calf issue, which has kept him out of action. Earlier, batting coach Michael Hussey had said that the Super Kings are willing to wait until Dhoni is fully fit, especially given the need for quick running in the closing stages of an innings.

The Super Kings are currently placed mid-table and have managed a solid turnaround after starting their campaign with three consecutive losses. They are now in contention for a top-four spot. The spin duo of Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad has been outstanding, while Anshul Kamboj leads their wicket-taking charts.

Sanju Samson will once again be key, having already notched up two centuries this season. As for the Gujarat Titans, they had built momentum with three straight wins before suffering back-to-back defeats that have put them under pressure. Shubman Gill has delivered with the bat, but questions remain over his effectiveness as a T20 captain as the team looks to steady itself.

CAN KKR EXACT REVENGE ON LSG?

Kolkata Knight Riders snapped their winless run with a victory over Rajasthan Royals and will now look to exact revenge on Lucknow Super Giants. Earlier, KKR had slumped to a three-wicket defeat at the Eden Gardens, where Mukul Chaudhary’s unbeaten 54 helped LSG snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Despite the win over RR, KKR will be aware that their batting struggled before Rinku Singh bailed them out. The three-time champions will be eager to assert dominance and make a statement, knowing that another defeat could push them to the brink of elimination.

Lucknow Super Giants, meanwhile, are struggling for momentum, with Rishabh Pant under scrutiny for both his batting and captaincy. Nicholas Pooran has also endured a lean run, averaging just 10.42, further compounding LSG’s concerns.

WILL PATHITANA RETURN AGAINST LSG?

Matheesha Pathirana has already linked up with Kolkata Knight Riders, though he didn’t feature in the game against Rajasthan Royals. KKR will be keen to unleash the Sri Lankan speedster against Lucknow Super Giants, especially given the skills he has with his yorkers and subtle variations in pace.

The big question, however, is who makes way if Pathirana returns. Sunil Narine and Cameron Green are unlikely to be dropped, considering their all-round value. That leaves a possible toss-up between Tim Seifert and Rovman Powell for a spot in the XI.

With their bowling unit under pressure in recent games, the Knight Riders would certainly welcome Pathirana’s inclusion to add firepower and variety.

CHENNAI AND LUCKNOW: PITCH AND CONDITIONS

The pitch in Chennai has been a good one for batting, with teams breaching the 200-run mark in three of the six matches so far. That said, spinners are expected to play a crucial role, bringing Akeal Hosein, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad into focus. The surface is likely to slow down as the game progresses, which could make batting first the preferred option. There’s no rain forecast, with temperatures expected to hover around 35°C.

In Lucknow, the pitch has offered a more even contest between bat and ball. Stroke-making hasn’t been easy, with bowlers enjoying their share of success. A high-scoring game doesn’t seem likely here, and a total in the region of 160–165 could well set up a closely fought contest. Conditions will be warm, with temperatures around 28°C.

CSK vs GT and LSG vs KKR: HEAD-TO-HEAD

There’s absolutely nothing to separate Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings, with both teams having won four matches each since their first meeting in 2022. However, the story at Chepauk is different, where the Super Kings hold a 2-0 advantage over the Titans.

Kolkata Knight Riders, meanwhile, haven’t had the best record against Lucknow Super Giants, losing five of their seven encounters. However, in their only meeting in Lucknow back in 2024, the Knight Riders registered a dominant 98-run win over the Super Giants.

CSK vs GT: Predicted XI

CSK Playing XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary

Impact Sub: Akeal Hosein

GT Playing XI: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj

Impact Sub: Prasidh Krishna

LSG vs KKR: Predicted XI

LSG Playing XI: Mitchell Marsh, Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant (c) (wk), Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Mayank Yadav

Impact Sub: Himmat Singh

KKR Playing XI: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Tim Seifert (wk), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Varun Chakaravarthy

Impact Sub: Angkrish Raghuvanshi

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