IPL 2026: CSK win toss; opt to bat vs SRH in "Southern Derby"
Chennai, May 18
Chennai Super Kings have won the toss and elected to bat first against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their high-voltage Indian Premier League 2026 "Southern Derby" clash on Monday evening.
The five-time champions CSK are hosting the Hyderabad-based franchise at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium. Earlier in the ongoing season, SRH secured a close 10-run win over the Super Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
During the toss, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad revealed that legendary wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni is not fit enough to play against SRH.
"We are looking to bat first. Looking a bit dry, and we want to put up a good total. Even the last game against MI, it wasn't the best of wickets to bat on. Nothing complicated, and we want to keep it simple. MS Dhoni is still here, but he is not fit enough to play this game. We have one change," CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad said during the toss.
After losing the toss, SRH skipper Pat Cummins confirmed that they are playing with the same team.
"It's T20 cricket, and it's not easy every game. He knows it's not going to work every game. We would have probably wanted to bowl. Same team as the last game," SRH captain Pat Cummins said.
Teams:
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Spencer Johnson.
Chennai Super Kings (Impact Players): Mukesh Choudhary, Matthew Short, Sarfaraz Khan, Aman Khan, Gurjapneet Singh.Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Smaran Ravichandran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins(c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (Impact Players): Travis Head, Liam Livingstone, Aniket Verma, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a neutral fan, I'm just excited to see Klaasen and Abhishek Sharma bat. SRH's batting lineup looks explosive on paper, but their bowling – especially Sakib Hussain and Praful Hinge – is relatively inexperienced. CSK might have the edge at Chepauk, but SRH proved earlier this season they can win away. Toss was crucial, and CSK used it well. Good move to bat first on a dry pitch.
It's sad to see Dhoni still not fit. At his age, injuries are inevitable, but I hope he recovers soon for the playoffs. That said, CSK management needs to stop relying on him so much – they should have a clear successor plan. Ruturaj is doing well, but the team looks a bit unsettled without MS behind the stumps. Sanju Samson keeping wickets adds pressure on his batting too. Let's see how this experiment works.
Excited for the Southern Derby! 🔥 Both teams have passionate fanbases. SRH's batting looks dangerous with Travis Head as impact sub, but their bowling looks thin – Eshan Malinga and Sakib Hussain are unproven at this level. CSK's spin trio of Noor Ahmad, Akeal Hosein, and Kartik Sharma could choke SRH on this Chepauk track. I predict CSK wins by 15-20 runs if they post 170+.
I'm from the US but have been following IPL for years. The "Southern Derby" is always a treat – great rivalry between two quality teams. CSK batting first is a smart move given the dry pitch. I'm curious to see how Dewald Brevis performs – he has huge potential but hasn't fully delivered yet. SRH's lineup looks a bit unbalanced without a proper fifth bowler. Should be a close game!
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.