CSK vs KKR Match Report: Chennai Super Kings Win by 32 Runs – IPL 2026 22nd Match
Chennai Super Kings ended a four-match losing run with a convincing 32-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday, posting 192/5 before restricting the visitors to 160/7.
Kolkata won the toss and chose to field, but their bowlers were made to pay early. Sanju Samson opened the batting and set the tempo with 48 off 32 balls – four fours and three sixes – before Kartik Tyagi removed him in the 12th over. Before that, Ayush Mhatre had provided serious acceleration with 38 off 17 (six fours, two sixes) at a strike rate of 223, putting on 47 with Samson before falling in the sixth over. Dewald Brevis then kept the momentum going with 41 off 29 before departing in the 18th. Sarfaraz Khan contributed 23 off 18 and Shivam Dube closed it out unbeaten on 13 off 12. Extras of 7 (including 4 wides) helped push CSK to 192/5 off their 20 overs.
For KKR, Vaibhav Arora was expensive – 55 runs off 4 overs at an economy of 13.75 – while Kartik Tyagi picked up two wickets for 35. Sunil Narine (1/21) and Anukul Roy (1/21) were the tightest of the lot.
KKR’s chase fell apart in the powerplay. Finn Allen went for 1 off 3 in the second over, caught at long-on off Anshul Kamboj. Sunil Narine offered some early aggression (24 off 17) before Khaleel Ahmed had him in the fourth over. At 29/2, KKR needed something special from their middle order – and it never came.
Ajinkya Rahane (28 off 22) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (27 off 19) threatened to rebuild, but both fell in the space of two balls in the 11th over – Noor Ahmad dismissing both to make it 85/5. Cameron Green went for a golden duck off the same over. KKR were effectively done.
Rovman Powell (31* off 22) and Ramandeep Singh (35 off 23) gave the total a degree of respectability with a late seventh-wicket partnership, but the asking rate was already out of reach. KKR finished on 160/7 – 32 runs short.
Noor Ahmad finished with 3/21 off 4 overs as the standout bowler, while Akeal Hosein (1/26) and Kamboj (2/32) supported well. Khaleel Ahmed took 1/24 before going off injured, with his 3.5 overs accounted for.
Key Performances
Sanju Samson – 48 (32), SR 150: Composed and explosive in equal measure. The anchor CSK needed after a run of poor results.
Ayush Mhatre – 38 (17), SR 223: Brutal acceleration at the top. Six fours and two sixes in a brief but destructive cameo that set the tone.
Noor Ahmad – 3/21 (4 overs), Econ 5.25: The wicket that broke the chase open. Three victims including the crucial double-strike in the 11th that finished KKR’s chase as a contest.
How it Ended
Chennai Super Kings won by 32 runs. CSK move to 4 points from 5 matches. Kolkata Knight Riders remain bottom of the IPL 2026 table with just 1 point from 5 matches – yet to register a win this season.
Full scorecard and player ratings: statz.ai/cricket
