IPL 2021: Match 8, PBKS vs CSK Match Prediction – Who will win today’s match?

Preview

Chennai Super Kings (CSK), after a poor campaign in 2020, lost their opening game against the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). After posting 188, they couldn’t survive the wrath of the DC batters, especially Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan.

Their second game is against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Friday, April 16 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Kings, on the other hand, started with a four-run victory over the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the same venue.

But their bowling has a lot to be desired as Sanju Samson’s century almost led to their defeat. Against the Super Kings, PBKS don’t have the greatest of records by any means. But in Mumbai, out of two matches, the Punjab-based team has beaten MS Dhoni’s CSK once back in 2014.

Match Details

Match – Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings – 8th match

Venue – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Time – 7:30 PM IST, 02:00 PM GMT

Where to watch live – Star Sports Network, Hotstar

Pitch Report

The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium has been a batsman’s paradise. There’s very little for the bowlers to work with. The pitch won’t be changing character and hence, batting second should be the way forward for both teams. The playing conditions would be clear with the temperature around the 29 degrees Celsius mark. The humidity would mostly be in the mid and high-50s.

Avg first innings score:  182 (Last 9 IPL T20s at the Wankhede)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 5, Lost – 3, Tied – 1

Probable Playing XIs:

Punjab Kings

Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul (C and WK), Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Deepak Hooda, Shahrukh Khan, Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith/Chris Jordan, Murugan Ashwin, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami

Bench: Mandeep Singh, Dawid Malan, Sarfaraz Khan, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Fabian Allen, Harpreet Brar, Saurabh Kumar, Prabhsimran Singh, Utkarsh Singh, Ishan Porel, Riley Meredith/Chris Jordan, Darshan Nalkande, Ravi Bishnoi

Chennai Super Kings

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf Du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (C and WK), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar

Bench: Robin Uthappa, Imran Tahir, KM Asif, Bhagath Verma, C Hari Nishanth, Narayan Jagadeesan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Harishankar Reddy, Sai Kishore, Mitchell Santner, Karn Sharma

Head-to-Head

Overall

Played – 24 | Punjab Kings– 9 | Chennai Super Kings – 15 |N/R – 0

At neutral venues

Played – 12 | Punjab Kings – 4 | Chennai Super Kings – 8 |N/R – 0

Probable best batsman of the match

KL Rahul- Punjab Kings

KL Rahul doesn’t have overly great numbers against CSK, having scored 292 runs at an average and strike rate of 36.50 and 126.96 with a top score of 71. But at the Wankhede Stadium, he has notched 310 runs thus far at an average of 103.33 with a top score of an unbeaten 100. In the previous game against the Royals, he got a 50-ball 91 and that should keep him in good stead.

Probable best bowler of the match

Dwayne Bravo– Chennai Super Kings

Dwayne Bravo was CSK’s standout bowler against the Capitals as he picked up one wicket and gave away 28 runs.  Against Punjab, the veteran has picked up 22 wickets from the 55 overs he has bowled. Moreover, an average and economy of 19.36 and 7.75 respectively show that he tastes success while bowling to the PBKS batters. CSK would be hoping for a decent show for the pacer.

Today’s match prediction: The team, batting second to win the match.

Scenario 1

Toss: Punjab win the toss and bowl

Powerplay score – 50-55

First innings score – 185-205

Result – Punjab win the match

Scenario 2

Toss – Chennai win the toss and bowl

Powerplay score – 55-60

First innings score – 190-210

Result – Chennai win the match

Disclaimer: This prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.