CSK vs KKR Highlights, IPL 2026: Noor Ahmad, Akeal Hosein take Super Kings home; Knights remain winless

CSK vs KKR Live Score: IN THE AIR AND TAKEN!!!! Anukul Roy gets the wicket of Ruturaj Gaikwad. His dismal IPL 2026 run continues. He was struggling even before that.

CSK vs KKR Live Score: So, two overs done. CSK have 24 runs on the board. Gaikwad and Samson are looking to build a platform.

CSK vs KKR Live Score: First over done, and CSK have started well. 14 runs off the Vaibha over and things are looking good for the home team.

CSK vs KKR Live Score: Wonderful from Chetta!!! Two boundaries, two classy boundaries to get the innings going for the Super Kings. Okay, make that three in a row!!!!

CSK vs KKR Live Score: So, we are all set for the action to start. Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad walk out to start the innings for the Chennai Super Kings. Vaibhav Arora will start the proceedings for KKR with the ball.

CSK vs KKR Live Score:

Chennai Super Kings: Unchanged XI

Kolkata Knight Riders: Varun Chakaravarthy replaces Navdeep Saini.

CSK vs KKR Live Score: The impact substitute options for the two teams -

Kolkata Knight Riders: Finn Allen, Manish Pandey, Tejasvi Dahiya, Tim Seifert, Navdeep Saini

Chennai Super Kings: Akeal Hosein, Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma, Matthew Short, Matt Henry

CSK vs KKR IPL 2026 Live Score: The playing XIs of the two teams are here -

Kolkata Knight Riders Playing XI: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh (vc), Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi

Chennai Super Kings Playing XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Khaleel Ahmed

CSK vs KKR IPL 2026 Live Score: KKR have won the toss, and they will field first.

CSK vs KKR IPL 2026 Live Score: Tonight's CSK vs KKR clash also carries a nice next-gen subplot in Ayush Mhatre and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Angkrish has been the bigger run-scorer so far in the tournament with 155 runs, while Ayush has 133, but the gap is not wide enough to hide how valuable both have been. Ayush has given CSK early thrust and has also led their batting impact chart, while Angkrish has been KKR's most productive batter overall.

CSK vs KKR IPL 2026 Live Score: MS Dhoni's fitness remains one of the biggest watchpoints before CSK vs KKR at Chepauk tonight. Reports suggest that while Dhoni has returned to batting in the nets, his recovery from the calf injury is still ongoing, with no firm confirmation yet on whether he will play.

That keeps the suspense alive around a game where CSK could badly use his presence, both tactically and emotionally. Dhoni has been around the squad and back in visible preparation, but the latest reporting suggests tonight's match is still more of a waiting game than a confirmed comeback. For now, his status remains the sort of late call that can shape the mood at Chepauk before the first ball.

CSK vs KKR IPL 2026 Live Score: Matheesha Pathirana has finally re-entered the Kolkata Knight Riders picture ahead of tonight's game against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk. He has secured the required No-objection Certificate from Sri Lanka Cricket after recovering from the calf injury that delayed his IPL 2026, and reports have suggested that he is available for selection from tonight's match onward.

That adds an extra layer to tonight's contest. Pathirana could face the franchise he left only months ago. KKR may be cautious about throwing him straight into the XI. For a side short on rhythm and answers, though, even his return to the squad feels like a timely boost before a difficult night in Chennai.

CSK vs KKR IPL 2026 Live Score: MA Chidambaram Stadium has produced two high-scoring matches so far, with innings totals of 209/5, 210/5, 212/2, and 189 all out. That gives the venue an average first-innings score of 210.5 and an average second-innings score of 199.5, which is far healthier for batters than Chepauk's older reputation would suggest. The phase split shows that teams have scored at 9.88 in powerplay, 8.69 in overs 7-11, 10.36 in overs 12-16, and 10.29 at the death. So the pitch has not died once the ball gets older. Spin has been slightly tighter, but pace has taken 17 wickets to spin's 4, showing this has not been a raging turner. It has been a batting positive surface where control has mattered most.

CSK vs KKR IPL 2026 Live Score: On bowling impact, CSK bring the bigger headline number into this game. Anshul Kamboj leads both squads with a total bowling score of 109.11 (as per our method), giving CSK the most influential bowler on current returns. Jamie Overton (55.49) and Khaleel Ahmed (60.33) add support. KKR, by contrast, has a broader spread. Sunil Narine (73.55) and Anukul Roy (62.55) lead their chart, while Vaibhav Arora (54.00), Kartik Tyagi (53.35) and Blessing Muzarabani (48.27) keep them in the game.

CSK vs KKR IPL 2026 Live Score: On batting impact alone. KKR hold the sharper edge going into this contest. Angkrish Raghuvanshi leads the two squads with a total batting score of 124.57 (as per our method), followed by Ajinkya Rahane on 108.12 and Finn Allen on 89.78. CSK's best batting-impact return comes from Ayush Mhatre at 99.35, with Shivam Dube (89.24) and Sanju Samson (85.08) close behind. Sarfaraz Khan's 76.92 adds another useful layer for CSK.

CSK vs KKR IPL 2026 Live Score: KKR have scored the fastest in the powerplay at 10.75 an over, which shows how often they have come out hard. But the bigger story sits in the middle. In overs 7-11, they still score at 9.67, yet the innings begins to wobble, and in overs 12-16, the rate drops sharply to 7.47 while they lose 9 wickets, their worst phase for batting damage. That is where KKR's innings have most often lost direction. Though they recover strongly at the end, scoring at 12.13 runs per over in the death.

CSK vs KKR IPL 2026 Live Score: CSK have scored the quickest in the Powerplay at 9.77 runs per over, but that phase also cost them most wickets: 8, so the fast starts have not always been clean. Their real problem has come in overs 7-11, where the rate drops to 8.40, and 7 more wickets have also fallen, making it the phase where innings tend to lose shape. They have recovered better in overs 12-16, scoring at 9.44 while losing only 6 wickets, before finishing at 10.26 in the death.

CSK vs KKR IPL 2026 Live Score: The last time Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders met, it was CSK who walked away with a tense two-wicket win at Eden Gardens in IPL 2025. KKR put up 179 for 6, a total that looked competitive on a tacky surface, but Chennai held their nerve and got home with two balls to spare. It was the kind of finish that left Kolkata with more regret, because they had the game in their hands for long stretches before CSK squeezed through. The result in turn dented KKR's playoff push while giving CSK one of their grittier wins in an otherwise uneven season.

CSK vs KKR IPL 2026 Live Score: Chennai Super Kings have the most productive wicket-taker across the two squads. Anshul Kamboj leads the chart with 8 wickets, giving CSK the clearest strike option so far. He is followed by Jamie Overton with 5, which means CSK's bowling returns have come largely through that pair. For Kolkata Knight Riders, Blessing Muzarabani has 4 wickets in just two matches, while Vaibhav Arora has five in three, making them KKR's main wicket sources. After that the drop is noticeable, with Anukul Roy and Kartik Tyagi on 3 each.

CSK vs KKR IPL 2026 Live Score: Chennai Super Kings bring the heavier run bank into this contest. Across the two sides, Sanju Samson leads the chart with 137 runs, with Ayush Mhatre close behind on 133. Kolkata Knight Riders' best return comes from Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who has 155, making him the overall leader between the two sides, while Ajinkya Rahane follows with 124. For CSK, Sarfaraz Khan's 99 in just three matches also stands out, while KKR's next layer include Finn Allen (80) and Rinku Singh (72). So this game brings together two different batting patterns: CSK's runs are spread a bit more, while KKR have leaned hardern on Raghuvanshi and Rahane to keep the scoreboard moving.

CSK vs KKR IPL 2026 Live Score: Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders head into this game from the bottom end of the table, which is why the pressure feels sharper than usual. CSK are ninth after losing three of their first four matches, with only two points and little margin for another stumble. KKR are last, stull without a win after three games, their only point coming from a washout. That leaves them chasing the pack before the season can settle into a dangerous pattern. The contrast is simple: CSK are trying to trun one win into momentum, while KKR are still trying to stop their campaign from becoming a string of almosts.

CSK vs KKR IPL 2026 Live Score: Hello and welcome to Hindustan Times' live coverage of Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, a game that already feels heavier than a routine league fixture. CSK finally have a win and a Sanju Samson century to build on, but they are still stuck near the bottom and need proof that the Delhi result was a proper turn, not a brief spark. KKR, meanwhile, are still searching for their first win, with clase defeats and a washout leaving them short on points and short on certainty. Chepauk now gets a contest between two decorated sides whose reputations mean little unless the 3 to 4 hours from 7:30 PM IST today start changing the table.