IPL predictions: CSK to beat KKR? RCB to outdo LSG? PBKS to defeat MI?
Get IPL predictions for this week’s matches.
There are three particularly key clashes coming up.
Read on for more insight.
Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders
Key talking points
CSK
Currently sitting in ninth place, having secured the only victory between these two sides this season. Despite their lowly rank there is good news for CSK.
Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has found form, anchoring the top order with two half-centuries in four games while Sanju Samson bounced back to form to strike his first century in the yellow of CSK last time out.
South African power-hitter Dewald Brevis was also fit and able to play in CSK last outing, although he was not needed to bat. However, their bowling depth has been tested by injuries to key domestic pacers.
Statistical the “Yellow Army” has been troubled this year by their uncharacteristically poor Powerplay strike rate, which currently ranks as the lowest in the league, forcing the lower order into high-pressure recovery acts.
KKR
Winless in their first four outings, KKR are anchored at the bottom of the table.
While opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi has been a lone bright spot with the bat, the expensive overseas bowling contingent has struggled to pick up wickets in the middle overs.
Interestingly, despite their losses, KKR boasts the highest number of sixes in the tournament so far — a statistical quirk that highlights their all-or-nothing batting approach.
History isn’t on their side either; KKR has historically struggled at Chepauk, failing to win a regular-season game here since 2012.
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
The legendary ‘Chepauk’ is historically a slow, spin-friendly track where totals are often defended.
The average first innings score at the ground is approximately 164 runs.
There is a significant advantage to batting first here with teams setting scores having a 55.43 percent win rate. This is largely due to the pitch slowing down in the second innings.
The record for most IPL runs scored at the venue belongs to MS Dhoni who dominates the ground with 1,530 runs.
The record for the most IPL wickets at the ground belongs to Ravichandran Ashwin who has bagged 52 scalps here.
The highest team total at the ground is 246/5 made by Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2010.
The lowest team total recorded here was the 70 all out by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2019 season opener.
Andre Russell holds the record for the best bowling figures here (he took 5/15 in 2021), a rare feat for a quick on this spin-friendly deck.
Weather
Chennai is expecting a warm and humid Tuesday evening. By the time the game starts temperatures will hover around 32 degrees, though it may feel closer to 39 due to the high humidity.
Skies will likely remain partly cloudy with a light easterly breeze. There is no significant rainfall predicted for the night, making it a typical sticky coastal night.
Form
- CSK: W, L, L, L, W.
- KKR: L, NR, L, L, L.
Predicted line-ups
CSK
Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Sarfaraz Khan, Matthew Short, Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Chahar, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed.
KKR
Ajinkya Rahane (c), Finn Allen (wk), Sunil Narine, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Rachin Ravindra, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Matheesha Pathirana, Varun Chakravarthy.
Key players
Sanju Samson
Now a vital cog at the top of the CSK middle order, Samson’s ability to take down both pace and spin makes him the perfect weapon for the tacky Chepauk surface.
After a slow start to the 2026 season, he struck form last time out with a brilliant and undefeated 115 from 56 balls against Delhi. His tactical awareness and calm temperament under pressure have quickly made him a fan favourite.
Cameron Green
The Australian powerhouse appears to be shaking off the weight that comes with being the most expensive foreigner ever bought on the IPL auction.
Unable to bowl at the start of the season he is now fully fit and bring value with bat and ball.
Green’s ability to hit the deck hard is particularly effective on Chennai’s bounce-starved pitch, while his aggressive batting at number four can dismantle any bowling attack.
Fresh from a rapid forty and two wickets against MI, Green is the X-factor KKR needs to disrupt CSK’s fortress at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.
Prediction: Chennai Super Kings
Playing at the Chepauk Stadium gives CSK a massive tactical advantage; their spin-heavy attack, led by Noor Ahmad, is perfectly suited to the slower surface.
While KKR’s Cameron Green is a threat, CSK’s superior familiarity with these conditions and their disciplined middle-order batting should see them defend their home fortress.
KKR are low on confidence and without a win while CSK’s stars are starting to find form at just the right time.
Also read: Seven deadly bowlers who could dominate the IPL 2026 Purple Cap race
Royal Challengers Bengaluru v Lucknow Super Giants
Key talking points
RCB
The reigning champions started the season well and seem to be improving with almost every outing. They are currently sitting 3rd on the table with three wins and just one loss from four matches.
They come into this game with high confidence after an 18-run victory over the Mumbai Indians.
Virat Kohli is in exceptional form, having just crossed 4,000 career runs while chasing.
A notable statistical highlight is RCB’s dominant home record at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where they have won both of their fixtures so far this season.
LSG
LSG are currently 6th on the table with a 2-2 record and a negative net run rate of -0.427.
They are looking to bounce back after a lack-lustre 7-wicket defeat to GT, where their batting struggled to set a competitive total.
Prince Yadav has been their most consistent performer with the ball, leading the team with five wickets in three matches.
Interestingly, LSG has won their last two away matches in the 2026 season, making them a dangerous “road” team despite their mid-table position.
Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru remains one of the most high-octane venues in the IPL, famously known for its high altitude and short boundaries that heavily favour power hitters.
Teams have a strong preference for bowling first at the ground. Over 90 percent of toss winners choose to field and chasing teams have won approximately 53.5 percent of matches.
The average first innings total at the venue is approximately 168 runs. However, this ground is notorious for much higher totals; teams scoring 180-plus when batting first win about 62% of the time, while scores under 170 are rarely defended.
Given his career-long association with RCB it is no surprise that Virat Kohli is the leading run scorer at this venue — he has scored more than double the next highest scorer.
Yuzvendra Chahal is the leading wicket-taker at the ground in the IPL with 51 wickets, despite the batting-friendly conditions.
The record score at the ground is 287/3, set by Sunrisers Hyderabad against RCB in 2024, which also stands as the highest team total in IPL history.
The highest individual score at the ground belongs to Chris Gayle who smashed an unbeaten 175 off 66 balls for RCB against Pune Warriors in 2013.
Samuel Badree (RCB) holds the record for the best figures at this ground with 4/9 against Mumbai Indians in 2017, a spell that included a hat-trick.
The ground is home to the highest score in IPL history as well as one of it’s lowest ever team totals as well. While SRH posted 287/3 here, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru were famously bowled out for just 82 runs at the same venue in the very first IPL match in 2008.
Weather
Bengaluru will enjoy a relatively pleasant but warm weather on Wednesday evening. By the time the game starts the temperature is expected to settle near 26 degrees.
The sky will be mostly clear with low humidity, offering relief from the afternoon heat. A gentle southerly wind will keep the air moving, making it an ideal evening for cricket.
Form
- RCB: W, L, W, W, W.
- LSG: L, W, W, L, L.
Predicted line-ups
RCB
P Salt, V Kohli, D Padikkal, R Patidar (c), K Pandya, J Sharma, T David, R Shepherd, B Kumar, S Sharma, N Thushara.
LSG
A Markram, M Marsh, N Pooran, R Pant (c), A Samad, M Breetzke, S Ahmed, M Shami, A Khan, M Yadav, M Khan.
Key players
Phil Salt
The English wicketkeeper-batter has become a defining force at the top of the order for the defending champions.
Fresh off a blistering 78 off 36 balls against Mumbai Indians, Salt’s fearless approach is designed to exploit the short boundaries at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
His ability to generate rapid Powerplay starts, already striking at over 216 this season, allows RCB to dictate the game’s tempo early, making him their most dangerous attacking asset.
Rishabh Pant
As the most expensive player in IPL history, Pant is under immense pressure to lead LSG from the front.
Now promoted to the critical number three batting slot, his role is to anchor the innings while maintaining his signature aggressive counterattacks.
Coming off a calculated match-winning fifty against SRH, his tactical maturity and ability to dismantle both spin and pace will be vital in navigating the middle overs against RCB’s varied bowling attack.
Prediction: Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Expect this to be a high-scoring encounter. Playing at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium heavily favours RCB’s aggressive batting philosophy, particularly with Phil Salt and Virat Kohli in clinical form.
While LSG’s Rishabh Pant is a massive threat, RCB’s familiar home conditions and their ability to out-muscle teams in the final overs usually prove decisive on this notoriously small ground.
Mumbai Indians v Punjab Kings
Key talking points
MI
Mumbai Indians enter the game with a poor record of one win from four and a negative net run rate of -0.772.
Rohit Sharma has been in good form for Mumbai so there will be plenty of concern about the state of his hamstring after he was forced to retire hurt last time out against RCB.
If he is not able to play Quinton de Kock could get a chance at the top of the order alongside compatriot Ryan Rickelton.
Innovations from Suryakumar Yadav in the middle overs remain their greatest threat but the India T20 skipper has failed to properly dominate this season with scores of 33, 6, 51 and 16.
Statistically, MI holds a strong historical record at the Wankhede, winning 57 of 93 matches there.
However, Jasprit Bumrah is still searching for his first wicket of the 2026 campaign, an anomaly the franchise hopes to correct on Thursday.
PBKS
PBKS are riding high in second place with seven points, having secured three wins and one “no result” from four matches.
Captain Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh have provided stability, both averaging near the top of the league’s scoring charts.
Arshdeep Singh continues to be their primary weapon with the ball, despite being challenged by Rohit’s aggressive approach in past encounters.
PBKS and MI share a perfectly balanced head-to-head record with 17 wins each in 34 IPL meetings.
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Teams heavily prefer to chase at Wankhede due to the evening issues with dew. Historically, teams batting second have won approximately 55 percent of matches (65 wins out of 119 games).
The average first innings score is approximately 171 runs. However, the ground often sees higher scores due to its short boundaries and a fast outfield.
Rohit Sharma holds the record for the most IPL runs at this stadium, with 2,470 runs scored in 85 innings.
Lasith Malinga remains the leading wicket-taker at Wankhede with 68 wickets.
The record team score at the venue is 240/1, set by Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Mumbai Indians in the previous game at the venue on Sunday.
The highest individual score at the ground belongs to AB de Villiers who struck an unbeaten 133 off 59 balls during that same 2015 match for RCB.
The best bowling figures at the ground are shared by Harbhajan Singh (5/18 vs CSK in 2011) and Wanindu Hasaranga (5/18 vs SRH in 2022).
Thursday will be the third home outing for MI. In their first appearance here this season, against KKR, MI pulled off the highest successful run chase at Wankhede, scoring 224/4 to chase down 220.
Weather
Mumbai is expecting a sultry Thursday evening under overcast skies. By the time the game commences the mercury will be around 31 degrees, but the ‘feels like’ temperature will be significantly higher due to heavy coastal moisture.
Light winds from the sea may provide slight ventilation, though the air will remain thick. While widespread rain is unlikely, the high humidity will persist throughout the night, ensuring a warm, tropical atmosphere.
Form
- MI: L, L, L, W, L.
- PBKS: W, NR, W, W, L.
Predicted line-ups
MI
R Rickelton, Q de Kock (wk), S Yadav, T Varma, H Pandya (c), W Jacks, S Rutherford, S Thakur, D Chahar, J Bumrah, T Boult.
PBKS
P Singh (wk), P Arya, S Iyer (c), N Wadhera, M Stoinis, S Singh, A Omarzai, M Jansen, H Brar, Y Chahal, A Singh.
Key players
Ryan Rickelton
The South African wicketkeeper-batter has become a cornerstone of MI’s top order after a breakout 2025 season.
Known for his aggressive intent, Rickelton has maintained his form into 2026, already recording a high score of 81 off 43 balls against KKR.
His ability to exploit the Powerplay alongside Rohit Sharma is essential for MI’s strategy, especially at the high-scoring Wankhede.
Rickelton’s reliability behind the stumps and his capacity for quick-fire starts make him an indispensable asset for the five-time champions and he is currently keeping teammate Quinton de Kock out of the starting XI.
If Rohit Sharma is not fit in time for the game fans could see the South Africa lefties in tandem.
Shreyas Iyer
As captain, Shreyas Iyer has transformed PBKS into a formidable chasing unit, recently leading them to a record-breaking victory over SRH with an unbeaten 69 off 33 balls.
Averaging 68.5 in the 2026 season so far, Iyer has mastered the role of a situation player’, anchoring innings during high-pressure pursuits.
His tactical leadership and ability to strike at over 200 when required make him the primary threat to MI’s bowling attack as he eyes the 2026 title.
Prediction: Mumbai Indians
This will be a tight one, but we are backing MI to bag a second win of the season. MI’s batting depth, led by Suryakumar Yadav and Ryan Rickelton, is tailor-made for this high-scoring venue.
While Shreyas Iyer makes PBKS a dangerous chasing unit, the sheer pace and precision of Jasprit Bumrah in the death overs should be the deciding factor in stifling Punjab’s middle-order charge under the lights.
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