3 things PBKS need to do right to beat CSK in IPL 2025 clash ft. Arshdeep Singh

The night match of the rare weekday IPL 2025 doubleheader will have the Punjab Kings (PBKS) taking on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Mullanpur on Tuesday, April 8. Led by last year's title-winning captain with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Shreyas Iyer, PBKS have looked like a title contender for the first time in many years.

They started the 2025 IPL season with two thumping wins over the Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). However, their first outing at home in Mullanpur saw PBKS slip up and suffer a 50-run defeat to the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

Nevertheless, at 2-1 after three games, they are in a healthy position at fourth on the points table. Their opponents tonight, CSK, are in the midst of a dismal slump, losing three consecutive matches after the win over the Mumbai Indians (MI) in their season opener.

With a win almost non-negotiable for CSK, PBKS must be wary of the wounded five-time IPL champions. The two teams split victories in their meetings last year but PBKS have won four of the last five face-offs against CSK.

On that note, here are three things PBKS must do right to continue their recent dominance over CSK and get back to winning ways in IPL 2025.

#1 PBKS pacer Arshdeep Singh must break CSK's back with new-ball strikes

Arshdeep Singh's new ball spell could make or break Punjab's chances against Chennai [Credit: Getty]

It is no secret that CSK have historically relied on their top three in the batting order for success. With Suresh Raina's inimitable impact at No.3, CSK have built their dominance around a solid top three with several successful opening partnerships from Michael Hussey-Murali Vijay, Faf du Plessis-Ruturaj Gaikwad to Devon Conway-Ruturaj Gaikwad.

However, this season has been all too different with the Rahul Tripathi experiment at the top failing miserably. In their latest encounter against the Delhi Capitals (DC), CSK brought back Conway at the top to partner his New Zealand teammate Rachin Ravindra with skipper Gaikwad at No.3.

Despite the move not working, it is almost certain that CSK's top three will remain the same for the next few matches, given their shaky middle-order. This makes PBKS pacer Arshdeep Singh's opening spell doubly important.

The left-arm seamer has been arguably the best T20 bowler in the world over the last year and his removing at least two of the CSK top three will go a long way in exposing the frailties in their batting. Arshdeep has started well this season, picking up six wickets at an average of 19 in three matches.

However, his lack of strikes upfront allowed RR openers Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal to flourish and set the platform for a massive total. PBKS must guard against a repeat of the same, especially against a CSK unit that has a disproportionate reliance on their top order for success. And who better than the in-form Arshdeep to strike body blows upfront?

They might even want to consider bowling the left-arm pacer for three overs in the powerplay to ensure breaking CSK's back, which is the top three.

#2 Shreyas Iyer's presence at the crease against the CSK spinners

Shreyas Iyer could be the ideal man to tackle the Noor Ahmad threat [Credit: Getty]

When the 2025 auction ended, CSK was picked by some as a playoff team mainly because of their three-pronged spin attack. In Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja, the 2023 IPL champions boast arguably the best spin-bowling arsenal in the competition.

While things haven't panned out as expected with Ashwin and Jadeja still to find their groove, PBKS can expect a resurgence from the CSK spinners in a near must-win game for them.

Thus, it makes the role of arguably the best white-ball batter against spin, Shreyas Iyer, important. The 30-year-old is in the form of his life, coming off his dominant run in the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Iyer started the 2025 IPL season with back-to-back match-winning half-centuries. However, his early dismissal in PBKS' previous encounter against RR exposed their relatively suspect middle order against spin.

The RR spinners made merry with four wickets between them in 10 overs as PBKS managed only 155 in their 20 overs. With the Mullanpur wicket expected to assist spin and the big boundaries being their ultimate ally, PBKS will need their skipper to bide his time initially and ensure he weathers the potential middle-over storm against the world-class CSK spinners.

#3 Shutting down Shivam Dube is half the job done against CSK

Shivam Dube is yet to make a mark with his willow this season [Credit: Getty]

If ever there were doubts about what Shivam Dube means to CSK, the ongoing season acts as the ultimate evidence. The southpaw has struggled to get going with only 64 runs at an average of 16 and a strike rate of 136.17 in the four matches.

Going back to last season, CSK's downfall in the second half of the IPL 2024 started with Dube not producing his usual game-changing knocks. A staggering stat reveals his average being 49 at a strike rate of almost 168 in eight CSK wins since last season.

However, the average and the strike rate drops to 21.50 and 148.27 in their 10 defeats during this period. Hence, PBKS must understand Dube's impact and ensure they get their plans spot on to dislodge the left-hander as soon as possible.

Their overseas seamers, Lockie Ferguson and Marco Jansen, with pace and bounce could be the ideal matchup for keeping Dube quiet and ultimately dismissing him.