The electric atmosphere at the MA Chidambaram Stadium nearly brought the toss to a standstill in Match 7 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 between (CSK) and Punjab Kings (PBKS). Former West Indies pacer and commentator Ian Bishop had to apologise to skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad as the roaring Chepauk crowd made it impossible for the two to hear each other.
Punjab Kings captain won the toss and elected to bowl first, citing the fresh home pitch for CSK. When Bishop turned to Gaikwad for his thoughts, the loyal yellow army erupted in loud cheers for their captain. Both Gaikwad and Bishop burst into laughter at the chaos. The noise was so intense that Bishop had to step closer and stand right beside Gaikwad before the conversation could continue.
Ian Bishop’s on-field apology
“I don’t know. I don’t know how long. Let me come closer. I apologise to the cameras. I am sorry this is dragging on because of the noise and the cheering. I am sorry for not being able to hear you and for dragging this on,” Bishop said, clearly amused.
The light-hearted moment highlighted the passionate support CSK fans bring to Chepauk, especially in their first home game of the season. After losing the opener to the Rajasthan Royals, the five-time champions are desperate for a strong bounce-back.
CSK’s tactical changes and batting strategy
For this clash, Chennai Super Kings made one change, bringing in Prashant Veer in place of Matthew Short. confirmed a bold pre-planned move by opening the batting with Sanju Samson, pushing young Ayush Mhatre to No. 3.
“That has been the key for CSK as a franchise. You know, having that good top order. And I think opening partnerships has been a key factor in our recent success in the winning seasons as well,” Gaikwad explained at the toss.
On the pitch conditions, Gaikwad added, “Well, I think, you know, for me it looks a bit on the drier side. And I don’t think it will change too much. More often than not, it will remain the same. And, you know, it’s early April, so I don’t think dew will be a key factor in the second inning. So I think, runs on the board, and definitely you can depend on this track.”
Reflecting on the opening loss, he stayed positive: “Well, nothing, you know, we just accept we had a tough condition to face… We just try to focus on this game and how you can come better and better prepared. That is how you focus on this game.”
Shreyas Iyer’s mindset and PBKS approach
Shreyas Iyer, leading the , chose to field first to assess the wicket early. “I am going to bowl first since it’s their first match on the home ground. I feel the wicket is fresh. It would be a great thing to know how the wicket is going to play,” he said.
When asked about his hand, Iyer replied briefly but positively: “It’s fresh.” He emphasised staying optimistic, “I just want to be positive in the way I talk. And I feel that if I say something negative about myself, it rubs off my body. So, I just want to stay, keep it cool and composed.”
Iyer drew confidence from PBKS’s recent record against CSK and the momentum from their previous win. He praised the young guns in his squad for their fearless hitting, saying their energy rubs off on everyone. Punjab Kings went with an unchanged playing XI.
Playing XIs and Impact Subs
Punjab Kings Playing XI: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Impact Subs: Suryansh Shedge, Priyansh Arya, Vishnu Vinod, Praveen Dubey, Harpreet Brar.
Impact Subs: Jamie Overton, Rahul Chahar, Matthew Short, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Gurjapneet Singh.