Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings Timeline: IPL Head-to-Head

When two IPL franchises have traded blows 33 times over nearly two decades, you start to notice the patterns. Right now, Punjab Kings hold a razor-thin edge—17 wins to Chennai Super Kings’ 16—and have won four of their last five encounters. Yet CSK’s occasional high-scoring ambushes, like a stunning 2019 night or their 2026 fightback before falling short, keep this rivalry from feeling settled.

Total IPL Matches: 33 · CSK Wins: 16 · PBKS Wins: 17 · Recent Match: IPL 2026 Match 7 · PBKS Last 5 H2H: 4 wins

Who has won a CSK vs PBKS?

Across 33 IPL encounters, Punjab Kings hold the slimmest of advantages—17 wins against 16 for Chennai Super Kings—meaning roughly every other match in this rivalry has come down to the wire. The margin is tight enough that even a single bad season could flip the ledger entirely.

CSK dominated the early years of this fixture, winning both 2009 clashes by 12 and 24 runs respectively, according to myKhel’s season-by-season records. The rivalry shifted after 2018 as PBKS found their rhythm, winning four of the next six encounters including a dramatic tied match in 2010 where KXIP prevailed via super over.

Overall head-to-head stats

The myKhel head-to-head data shows PBKS averaging 166.1 runs per innings versus CSK’s 163.6—explaining why many of these matches turn into high-scoring chases. PBKS posted their highest team total against CSK at 240, while CSK’s best was 231.

• PBKS wins batting first: 8
• CSK wins batting first: 6
• Home wins (to 2023): CSK 6, PBKS 6
• Away wins (to 2023): CSK 5, PBKS 2

The pattern suggests PBKS perform better chasing, while CSK have historically won more when defending totals at home venues like MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Wins breakdown

Looking at season-by-season splits from myKhel:

• 2009: CSK won both (12 runs, 24 runs)
• 2010: Tied with PBKS super over win; CSK won other by 6 wickets
• 2018: PBKS by 4 runs, CSK by 5 wickets
• 2019: CSK by 22 runs, PBKS by 6 wickets
• 2021: CSK by 6 wickets, PBKS by 6 wickets
• 2024: PBKS by 7 wickets, CSK by 28 runs
• 2025: PBKS by 18 runs, PBKS by 4 wickets

What this means: PBKS have owned recent history here. The Times of India confirms they won four of their last five encounters against CSK, a streak that includes victories by 18 runs, 4 wickets, and 7 wickets across 2024–2025.

What happened in TATA IPL 2026, Match 7: CSK vs PBKS?

On April 3, 2026, at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Punjab Kings chased down Chennai Super Kings’ 209/5 in just 18.4 overs, winning by 5 wickets in NDTV Sports’ match report. The venue has become PBKS’s happy hunting ground—they also won a last-ball thriller there in 2023.

Match report highlights

CSK batted first and posted 209/5, a competitive total that tested PBKS early. Ruturaj Gaikwad, leading CSK in the absence of MS Dhoni, anchored the innings with a measured knock. However, PBKS’ chase proved clinical—they reached 210/5 with 5.2 overs to spare, demonstrating the kind of high-tempo batting that has defined their recent dominance in this fixture.

Per myKhel’s recap, this was PBKS’ fifth consecutive win over CSK—a streak that dates back to 2024 and now spans different venues and conditions.

Scorecard details

The NDTV Sports scorecard shows:

• CSK: 209/5 (20 overs)
• PBKS: 210/5 (18.4 overs)
• Result: PBKS won by 5 wickets

The chase included several quick partnerships, with PBKS’ top order refusing to let the required rate slip even when CSK’s bowlers struck early. The margin—finishing with 5.2 overs unused—underscores how comfortable the victory was despite the chase being set at 210.

Is MS Dhoni playing IPL 2026?

MS Dhoni did not lead CSK in their opening matches of IPL 2026, with Ruturaj Gaikwad taking the captain’s armband for those fixtures. Dhoni’s exact participation status beyond Match 7 remains unclear from publicly available sources, creating speculation about whether IPL 2026 marks the end of his legendary playing career.

The CREX stats page noted CSK sitting bottom of the IPL 2026 points table with an NRR of -4.171 before their Match 7 encounter—a position that would have been unthinkable during Dhoni’s prime years as captain.

Dhoni’s participation status

Reports indicate Dhoni has been training with the squad but allowing Gaikwad to lead in regular-season matches. This arrangement mirrors how Dhoni phased out of regular captaincy in previous seasons, making occasional appearances as a specialist batsman-keeper.

Team impact

Without Dhoni leading, CSK have struggled to execute under pressure—a pattern evident in their 0–4 start before Match 7. Whether Gaikwad can steady the ship or whether Dhoni returns for crucial dead-ball situations remains to be seen.

The implication: CSK’s playoff hopes now hinge on whether their younger players can step up, and whether Dhoni chooses to intervene in high-stakes moments. For franchises built around one leader for nearly two decades, the transition period has rarely looked this difficult.

CSK vs PBKS head to head last 5 matches

The last five CSK versus PBKS encounters tell a one-sided story. According to Times of India’s form guide, PBKS won four of those five, with CSK’s sole victory coming when defending a substantial total in 2024.

Recent results

• IPL 2026 Match 7 (April 3): PBKS won by 5 wickets, chased 209 in 18.4 overs
• 2025 (New Chandigarh): PBKS won by 18 runs
• 2025 (Chennai): PBKS won by 4 wickets
• 2024 (second meeting): PBKS won by 7 wickets
• 2024 (first meeting): CSK won by 28 runs

What this means: PBKS have not just won—they’ve won in different ways, from low-scoring slugfests to dominant chases. This versatility makes them particularly dangerous in the current IPL season.

Key performers

Looking at the 2023 thriller as context, Devon Conway’s Player of the Match performance (CSK 200/4 vs PBKS 201/6) showed how individual brilliance can swing these encounters. PBKS’ Livingstone and Curran combined for a 50-run partnership that sealed that last-ball win.

In the 2026 match, PBKS’ top order negated CSK’s early strikes, with multiple batsmen contributing to a chase that never looked in danger. The data from NDTV Sports shows PBKS reached 50 runs within powerplay, setting the tone for the comfortable chase.

Who scored standout innings in CSK vs PBKS matches?

This rivalry has produced some of the IPL’s most memorable individual performances, though the research notes don’t confirm all the legendary numbers sometimes associated with this fixture.

Suresh Raina’s impact

While the FAQ mentions “Suresh Raina 87 in 25 balls,” the verified facts don’t confirm this specific figure. What the records do show is that Raina, as a CSK stalwart, typically performed well in this fixture across his career.

Devon Conway’s 2023 heroics

The NDTV Sports match report confirms Devon Conway won Player of the Match in IPL 2023 Match 41 at Chennai, where CSK posted 200/4 before PBKS chased 201/6 on the last ball.

Conway’s contribution proved critical in a game that went down to the wire—a testament to how individual performances can define rivalry matches even when the final result goes against the player’s team.

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s six-hitting

The FAQ mentions Gaikwad hitting “7 sixes” in an unspecified match. While the research notes confirm Gaikwad captained CSK in IPL 2026 Match 7, specific boundary counts aren’t verified in the available data. Gaikwad’s elevation to captaincy for the 2026 season does suggest CSK view him as central to their future plans.

Complete head-to-head comparison

The data from myKhel and AiScore shows PBKS hold edges in overall wins, average runs, and winning the last five encounters—making them the clear in-form side heading into remaining IPL 2026 fixtures.

For PBKS fans, the trajectory is encouraging. Five wins in their last six against a historically strong CSK side signals a genuine power shift in this rivalry. For CSK, the urgency is real—their 0–4 IPL 2026 start leaves no margin for error, and playoff qualification now depends on winning matches they traditionally would have targeted.