Wait for Dhoni continues as CSK's home edge meets LSG's away struggles

Big picture: IPL's bowling leaders on show

For everyone demanding better balance between bat and ball in IPL 2026, Sunday evening is must-see. Two of the season's best bowling attacks face off, even if neither are in the top-four.

Chennai Super Kings (6th) and Lucknow Super Giants' (10th) position on the points table highlights the inconsistent campaigns they've had, unable to string more than two wins on the trot. The major reason for that is both teams' batting. CSK (144.69) and LSG (136.91) are struggling to keep up with the pace at which runs have been scored this year, which has hit unprecedented highs.

The fact they are still in the running for a top-four spot is huge credit to their bowlers. Prince Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammed Shami, Jamie Overton have all put in stellar performances to the extent that CSK and LSG are two of the best performing pace attacks in the tournament.

One significant factor separates the two teams and may come into play given the match is taking place in Chennai. LSG's economy rate in away games goes up to 10.16, having conceded the season's third-highest total (254). CSK's economy rate at home is 9.14.

Form guide

Chennai Super Kings: WWLWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Lucknow Super Giants: WLLLL

Key question

Team news: Will Dhoni play?

The MS Dhoni question continues to hang over CSK. He's 44 years old. There's only four games left. If IPL 2026 is meant to be his farewell, time is running out.

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Sanju Samson (wk), 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 3 Urvil Patel, 4 Kartik Sharma, 5 Dewald Brevis, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Jamie Overton, 8 Akeal Hosein, 9 Anshul Kamboj, 10 Noor Ahmed, 11 Mukesh Choudhary, 12 Gurjapneet Singh

Josh Inglis, Mohsin Khan and Avesh Khan missed LSG's last game with little niggles. It is unclear if they're ready to take their places in the first-choice XII.

Lucknow Super Giants: 1 Mitchell Marsh, 2 Josh Inglis/Arshin Kulkarni, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Rishabh Pant, 5 Aiden Markram, 6 Akshat Raghuwanshi, 7 Himmat Singh, 8 Shahbaz Ahmed, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Prince Yadav, 11 Mohsin Khan/Mayank Yadav, 12 Digvesh Rathi

In the spotlight: Noor Ahmad and Digvesh Rathi

Noor Ahmad matches up very well against LSG's middle order batters Aiden Markram (20 runs at a strike rate of 80 with one dismissal), Rishabh Pant (27 runs at a strike rate of 90) and Nicholas Pooran (two runs at a strike rate of 25 with two dismissals). CSK will bank on him keeping this up.

Among spinners who have bowled at least 10 overs this IPL, Digvesh Rathi has picked up the fewest wickets (3), which has saved him from all the fines he copped last year for his unique wicket celebrations, but he wouldn't mind taking the hit to his pocket if he can find that old form again. Defending 19 in the last over against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in LSG's last game might be just what he needs to correct his path.

Stats and trivia: CSK's dependence on Samson

A sign of how much CSK's batting depends on Sanju Samson: he has batted past the powerplay in four games and they won all four. He couldn't bat through the powerplay in six games and they won only one.
Urvil Patel has a balls-per-boundary ratio of 2 in the IPL (10 sixes and 8 fours in 56 balls). He likes going after every ball he faces and that is the method that helped batters in the Indian team win a T20 World Cup. He may point to that as reason to persist with this; that it is only a matter of time before he finally faces 20 balls in an innings.
Mitchell Marsh averages 15.16 and strikes at 113.75 against CSK. He has fared worse against only one other IPL team and that's only because he's faced Gujarat Titans in just one game.
In his first eight innings this IPL, batting at No. 4 and 5, Nicholas Pooran had a strike rate of 81. In his last two innings, having been given his usual No. 3 spot, Pooran's strike rate has shot up to 230.
Mohammed Shami is the joint-fourth-highest wicket-taker in the powerplay this season with seven wickets. He's got a favourable record against Ruturaj Gaikwad in the IPL (57 runs in 74 balls for no wicket) but Samson's smashed him (82 runs in 43 balls for one wicket).

Pitch and conditions: Rain on the radar

Both teams cancelled their practice sessions due to rain and the forecast is for scattered showers on match day as well. A red-soil based pitch, which brought CSK's first victory of the season, against Delhi Capitals, will be used on Sunday. It spent a very long time under the covers and is likely to help for the fast bowlers.

Quotes

"I said [Pant] is just one innings away from getting his best. So, last match he played a very match defining innings, even though it might have been short, but he played a match defining innings, just that we did not click fully well as a team. Otherwise, he is perfectly alright."
LSG bowling coach Bharat Arun on his captain

"[Akeal and Noor] share a good rapport with each other. They help out each other on the ground. They're well-prepared in terms of being tactically aware of what to plan against different oppositions."
CSK assistant bowling coach S Sriram on Noor and Akeal Hosein's spin-bowling partnership.

Source: ESPN