No MS Dhoni, Pat Cummins as Sunrisers host CSK:Having beaten Hyderabad 15 times out of 22, can Chennai register hat-trick of wins?

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are set to lock horns with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 27th match in the IPL 2026 on Saturday, 18 April. Both teams will face each other twice this season, with this contest being the first. The match starts at 7:30 PM IST with the toss taking place at 7:00 PM. With a commanding victory in the last match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), SRH stand at the fourth spot of the points table with four points. Meanwhile, on the other hand, CSK find themselves in eighth place in the standings with four points and two victories in this tournament so far, with a net run rate of -0.846 this year. Last year, in 2025, Hyderabad and Chennai faced each other once. On 25 April, Sunrisers defeated the Super Kings by five wickets, chasing a low total of 155 runs in 18.4 overs. Harshal Patel’s 4/28 was the difference-maker at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. That MS Dhoni travelled with the CSK team to Hyderabad has generated buzz about his potential participation against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. But according to a Times of India report, Dhoni could be seen in action against the Mumbai Indians (MI) on 23 April or the Gujarat Titans (GT) on 26 April. Meanwhile, the Sunrisers would continue to be without Pat Cummins, who, as per Cricbuzz, won’t feature in this clash. Cummins, however, is expected to be in action against the Rajasthan Royals on 25 April. SRH vs CSK, IPL 2026, Match Details Match info: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings, match 27 Date Time: 18 April 2026, 7:30 PM IST (Toss at 7:00 PM) Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad How to watch: JioHotstar Star Sports How to follow: Follow the live coverage on the Bhaskar English App SRH vs CSK head-to-head record Chennai and Hyderabad have met 22 times in the IPL, with CSK dominating the rivalry, having won 15 matches. SRH have won seven games. CSK’s highest total against SRH is 223, and their lowest is 132. SRH’s top score against CSK is 192, while their lowest stands at 134, making this an exciting contest. Heinrich Klaasen, Harsh Dubey standout performers for SRH Heinrich Klaasen and Harsh Dubey have been the standout performers for the Sunrisers thus far in this campaign. Klaasen has come up with useful middle-order contributions with 224 runs in five matches, having a strike rate of 142.67. Dubey, on the other hand, has led SRH’s bowling effort with five wickets in as many matches. The left-arm spinner has had an economy of 8.66 and his best figures have been 2/18. Also read: ‘Having Dhoni as captain who wasn’t emotional helped a lot’: Lungi Ngidi speaks on impact of CSK stint, bowling plans for Virat Kohli Samson, Kamboj key for CSK’s success Sanju Samson and Anshul Kamboj have been key to CSK’s success this season. The right-handed Samson started off IPL 2026 on a poor note with a string of three low scores but bounced back in terrific fashion in the last two matches, hitting a century in one of them. Samson has had 185 runs in five matches and his performance at the top of the order will be crucial for CSK once again. In the bowling department, it has been Anshul Kamboj who has been the highest wicket-taker so far. Kamboj has picked up 10 wickets in five matches and although his economy has been on the expensive side, the Haryana pacer has struck at crucial junctures. Ishan Kishan has slight edge over Noor Ahmad with 180+ strike rate Hyderabad captain, Ishan Kishan, has scored 22 runs, facing 12 balls against the Afghan mystery spinner in three innings with a strike rate of 183.33. Noor had dismissed Ishan only once in the tournament history. He conceded runs with an economy of 11.00 against the explosive batter. Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, pitch report The pitch is expected to be a high-scoring one, made from a mix of clay and silt that creates a flat, hard surface with even bounce. There could be slight movement for pacers in the first few overs due to evening humidity, but conditions quickly turn favourable for batters once the powerplay ends. Spinners may struggle due to minimal turn, relying more on variations. With humidity around 41% and dew setting in later, bowling in the second innings becomes difficult as the ball gets slippery, making control challenging, especially in the death overs. Hyderabad weather report On Friday afternoon, the weather is expected to be clear for this match and there is no forecast of rain. The temperature for this match will hover between 24 and 29 degrees Celsius. The atmosphere is expected to be 47% humid with a dew point of 18 degrees in Hyderabad.