What happened the last time PBKS played CSK before IPL 2025?

Punjab Kings take on Chennai Super Kings in the 22nd match of the ongoing Indian Premier League in Mullanpur, Chandigarh, on Tuesday, April 8. While the hosts are currently among the leading sides of the cash-rich league this season, the visitors have struggled in all three departments.

PBKS are currently ranked fourth in the league standings with four points to their name - they have won two out of the three matches they have played so far. Sporting a revamped look, led by Shreyas Iyer and coached by Ricky Ponting, PBKS seems hungry to go all the way this season and aim for the title.

One of the few teams in the tournament to have never lifted the title, PBKS have the extra motivation to do well in this game since they will be playing in front of their home supporters. CSK, meanwhile, are languishing near the bottom of the table - in the ninth spot - with just two points inside their bag.

The five-time IPL winners have got off to one of the worst possible starts this season, with none of their batters coming good in the initial stages. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, himself hampered by injury, has tried his best to rally his troops, but indifferent form has hit the yellow camp hard in this campaign.

CSK's only bright spot this season came in their first game - a four-wicket victory over avowed rivals Mumbai Indians - but everything has gone downhill since then. Their poor showing has thrown the spotlight on veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his batting position although the other batters in the team are also to blame.

In this game, CSK will need to play with a fearless approach. The surface in Mullanpur is known to assist seamers when the ball is new but can become good for batting as the game progresses. With the dew playing a significant role in the second innings, teams will prefer to bowl first here.

The same was done by PBKS in their previous game on this surface, against Rajasthan Royals although they were beaten by a sound 50-run margin in it. This time around, the hosts will hope to adapt better to these conditions given that they played their first two matches away from home.

Chennai Super Kings beat Punjab Kings the last time they met

The picturesque cricket ground in Dharamsala played host to his fixture last season. [iplt20.com]

These two teams last clashed at the scenic Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala in IPL 2024. After winning the toss, PBKS opted to bowl first and allowed CSK to put up a decent 167-9 on the board at the end of their quota of 20 overs. Ravindra Jadeja top-scored with 43.

Opener Ajinkya Rahane departed in just the second over but skipper Gaikwad and Daryl Mitchell strung together a 57-run partnership while building the innings. Despite Shivam Dube departing for a duck and the other batters following through with nothing spectacular, CSK were able to hold the innings together.

Jadeja, walking in at number six, took just 26 deliveries to score his runs and struck three boundaries and two sixes in his innings. A late flourish by Shardul Thakur (17) helped CSK set PBKS a challenging target to chase under the lights on a fine evening. Rahul Chahar (3-23) and Harshal Patel (3-24) were the best bowlers on display for PBKS.

In response, the hosts did not get off to the best of starts and lost England wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow for 9 in the second over. Tushar Deshpande, who had accounted for Bairstow, quickly sent Rilee Rossouw back to the hut as well.

Shashank Singh fought a lone battle with a 20-ball 27 but none of the other PBKS batters rallied around him to try and save the innings. All-rounder Jadeja starred with the ball too, returning with figures of 3-20 to stifle the PBKS batting unit and help CSK pick up the two points on offer.

Memories of that defeat will haunt PBKS and they will be keen on erasing them as soon as possible in this encounter. Luckily for them, CSK seem to be a shadow of their former selves and appear gullible enough to falter under the lights in Mullanpur. Iyer and his men will clearly have an upper hand over Gaikwad and Co.