The M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, once the fortress of Chennai Super Kings, suffered another collapse as the Punjab Kings (PBKS) won by 5 wickets in Match 7 of IPL 2026. Set up for 210 as a target, the Punjab Kings batted an attacking team, led by Priyansh Arya and Shreyas Iyer with a blistering start. PBKS is a record-breaking win but CSK are bottom of the points table with two straight defeats to start their campaign.
Chennai Super Kings had 209/5 in the first innings with a breakout performance from the young sensation Ayush Mhatre. The Under-19 star struck 73 off 43 balls to become the youngest player to score an IPL fifty at Chepauk. With a steady 28 by the captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and a late cameo of 32 from Sarfaraz Khan, CSK looked to have enough on board. But the chase of the Punjab Kings was a hurricane-like affair which the Chennai bowlers simply could not handle.
Priyansh Arya set the pace of the chase and dismantled the CSK attack with 39 from just 11 deliveries. His performance, which included four towering sixes, ensured Punjab stayed well ahead of the required rate from the very first over. Prabhsimran Singh (43) and Cooper Connolly (36) kept the momentum up as the required run rate kept on rising. The top order created the foundation for Shreyas Iyer to play with calculated aggression.
Shreyas Iyer had his hand in the last stages of the chase and managed a crucial 50 from 29 balls. Despite the pressure of a 200-plus target, Iyer remained unruffled and struck three sixes and four boundaries to seal his side’s win with 8 balls to spare. While the victory was clinical on the field, it came with a sting for the PBKS skipper; Iyer was fined 24 lakh by the BCCI for the second slow over-rate offence of the season.
This is a worrying trend for Chennai, as they have now found it hard to defend totals at home. Punjab has now achieved their fourth consecutive win over CSK at Chepauk, which has only been achieved by the Mumbai Indians. PBKS have a clinical synergy with their youth and experience that will be very good for them in IPL 2026.
