As the league stage of the 2026 Indian Premier League heads into its final week, every match will now be a knockout battle, and match 63 between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday is another do-or-die battle. SRH descend in Chennai, full of belief and confidence after producing what they are known for. Chennai, meanwhile, find themselves cornered, with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.

Sunrisers Hyderabad, having 14 points from 12 matches, know that victories in their remaining two fixtures would certainly secure a place in the playoffs. Their batting lineup has been one of the most destructive in the league, overwhelming opposition with consistency. Their batting assault has been led by Heinrich Klaasen, who has enjoyed a sensational season, leading the Orange Cap race with 508 runs in 12 innings. Abhishek Sharma has been equally threatening, smashing 481 runs.

Travis Head and Ishan Kishan have provided explosive starts consistently, making things easier for the side. Earlier this season against Chennai, Klaasen and Abhishek combined to power SRH to a formidable total of 194. Despite a late fightback from CSK, Hyderabad held their nerve to secure a tense 10-run victory.

On the other hand, for Chennai Super Kings the equation is simple – either win the remaining games or lose everything. Their recent defeat against LSG, who are already eliminated, dealt a severe blow not only to their points but also to their playoff hopes. Another defeat would definitely end their campaign. Still, CSK remain capable of staging a turnaround, with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad having found his rhythm at the right time. More importantly, Sanju Samson has been the backbone of CSK's batting line-up, with 450 runs in 12 innings, including two centuries. CSKL would hope that Sanju gets going once again so that they have some hope of making it to the playoffs. 

Head-to-head

Matches - 23

CSK won - 15

SRH won - 8

CSK probable XII: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Dian Forrester, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Choudhary

SRH probable XII: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (wk), Smaran Ravichandran, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora/Aniket Verma, Pat Cummins (c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge