The 49th match of IPL is going to happen on 1st May 2024. The match is in between Punjab Super Kings and Chennai Super Kings, at Chidambaram Chennai. Both teams are facing each other for the first time in this IPL. The teams have ups and downs in IPL 2024. Currently, Chennai Super Kings holds the third position in the scoreboard. Out of 9 matches, they have 15 and lost 4 matches with a run rate of 0.810. However, Punjab Super Kings holds the 8th position in the scoreboard with three wins and 6 losses out of 9 matches. PBSK has a run rate of -0.187. Considering the performance, CSK would be looking forward to beating PBSK. However PBSK has also shown a great performance in this IPL.
The match is going to be very interesting to see how the CSK players are going to perform against PBSK. This match is going to be very crucial for both teams because PBKSÂ would need to survive and be at the top to get one step closer to the IPL 2024 trophy. Based on the performance there is a high probability of CSK winning. There is a huge fan support for CSK.
Match details:-
Here are the match details, the venue, the timing, the weather report, and the pitch report.
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Timing: The 49th match IPL season starts at 7:30 PM.
Injuries report: N/A.
Weather Report: The average temperature would be around 28 degrees, with humidity at 43% in today’s match.
Pitch Report: The cricket pitch at Chidambaram Stadium Chennai is likely to be dry. Fast bowlers and spin bowlers can do well in this pitch. But it will be a bit difficult for the batsman to score the runs. Generally, in the second half, the pitch gets better, which helps batsmen to score runs. So, the team should choose the bowl first.
| Pitch | Fast and bounce |
| Batting condition | Average |
| Pace Bowling | Pace and bounce |
| Spin Bowling | Average |
Team squad for the match 49 in IPL
Let’s look into the team squad for match 49 in IPL 2024.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Ruturaj Gaikwad (Captain), Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Sameer Rizvi, MS Dhoni (Wicket Keeper), Deepak Chahar, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Tushar Deshpande, Shardul Thakur, Shaik Rasheed, Moeen Ali, Nishant Sindhu, Mitchell Santner, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Prashant Solanki, Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh, RS Hangargekar, Aravelly Avanish, Mateesh Pathirana
Punjab Super Kings (PBSK)
Shikhar Dhawan (Captain), Jonny Bairstow, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Prabhsimran Singh, Rilee Rossouw, Jitesh Sharma (Wicket Keeper), Sam Curran, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Shashank Singh, Shivam Singh, Sikandar Raza, Atharva Taide, Chris Woakes, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar, Nathan Ellis, Harpreet Brar, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Prince Choudhary, Ashutosh Sharma, Vishwanath Singh, Tanay Thyagarajan
Top 3 players battle to watch in CSK vs PBKS:-
1.  Ruturaj Gaikwad vs Arshdeep Singh
Chennai Super Kings Captain and Skipper Rituraj Gaikwad has shown an exceptional performance in the IPL season. His performance helps the team to score a decent but challenging score for the opponents. He scores 447 runs with an average of 63.85 and a strike rate of 149.49. He became the second-highest scorer after Virat Kohli in IPL 2024.
On the other hand, the star player of Punjab King, Arshdeep Singh, has shown commendable performance for the team. He has taken 12 wickets in nine matches. His best performance was when he took wickets and gave only 29 runs.
It would be very exciting to see both players face each other in their first match of the IPL season.
2.  Shivam Dube vs Harpreet Brar
All-rounder Shivam Dube from CSK has had a consistent performance throughout the season. He scores 350 runs in 9 matches with an average of 58.33 and with a strike rate of 172.41.
On the other hand, the left-arm spinner of PBSK, Harpreet Brar, is also performing really well. He received fame when he dismissed Virat Kohli, Glen Maxwell, and AB de Villiers to make an important win against RCB in IPL 2021. Brar has become an integral part of the team, and his performance is very good this season too.
It is very interesting to see both players against each other to see what they bring to the table in this match.
3.  Matheesha Pathirana vs Jonny Bairstow
The star player of CSK, Mateesha Pathirana, is in incredible form this season. In this season, out of 6 matches, he has taken 13 wickets with an economy of 7.68.
Johnny best of is one of the star performer in PBSK. He scored 207 runs with an average of 34 and a strike rate of 168.60. In the match against KKR, he scored 108 – not out, which was incredible.
It would be fascinating to watch the face-off between these two players to face-off in their first match. Both players are performing very well throughout the season.
IPL Points Table
Let’s have a look at the points table for this IPL season 2024.
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | PTS | Net RR |
| Chennai Super Kings | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.810 |
| Punjab Kings | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -0.187 |
Who Will Win?
As per the current performance and consistency in winning shown by CSK, they have played really well during this season. It is a must-win match for PBSK to be in this game and give a tough fight to CSK.
Based on the last match played by PBSK with KKR, they scored an unbeatable score of 261 runs. As the match is happening in the home ground Chennai, the fans would also support the team. Audiences have given the name Thala to MS Dhoni for his charm, the way he plays and the strategies shown by him on the ground. As this is the last match for Dhoni, fans would shout for his name on the ground. It would be thrilling to see the match between PBSK and CSK.