CSK vs PBKS Match Prediction: Who will win today's IPL 2024 match?

Amazingly, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) have won their last four matches against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Their last meeting in the league was a Chepauk thriller that saw Matheesha Pathirana nearly defend nine runs off the last over before going for a slower ball instead of a yorker, a delivery Sikandar Raza somehow found a three off.

Pathirana remains as deadly as ever in the back half of the innings, and MS Dhoni is still striking late boundaries to send crowds into raptures. However, the Men in Yellow aren't as comfortably placed in the standings as they were when the two teams met last season.

With five wins from nine matches, the Super Kings are placed fourth on the IPL 2024 points table. They are level on points with the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), who they beat a few days ago at the M Chidambaram Stadium. With the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) going ahead of them with 12 points, CSK need to keep pace if they are to sustain their playoff push.

PBKS, meanwhile, are languishing at eighth place, with just six points from nine matches. Punjab cannot be counted, though - they are on the back of the highest successful run-chase in T20 history, a feat that was orchestrated primarily by Jonny Bairstow's stunning hundred at the Eden Gardens.

Before that, however, the Kings had lost four matches in a row, with serious concerns in the batting department. Shikhar Dhawan's potential return could be something to look forward to, although where he fits amid an opening combination of Prabhsimran Singh and Bairstow remains to be seen.

Can CSK notch up another home win? Or will PBKS take two points away from Chepauk for the second season running?

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IPL 2024, CSK vs PBKS Win Probability: Gaikwad and Co. backed to win

IPL 2024 has been a tournament of glorious uncertainties, but it's clear that CSK are the favorites for this encounter. If they don't come away with two points, the Men in Yellow will have suffered a devastating result for their playoff hopes.

There are concerns for Chennai. Ajinkya Rahane has looked a shadow of his 2023 self, struggling to put the pacers away even as his spin woes have remained. The batting lineup has been heavily reliant on Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube to take them to a defendable total, although Daryl Mitchell did make his first notable batting contribution in the last game.

The toss has been unkind to Gaikwad, and with dew being a factor in Chennai, he could be in trouble if PBKS decide to chase. If that happens, the Super Kings will need to get a few extra runs in the first innings while hoping that Matheesha Pathirana is fit to deliver another memorable second-innings display.

Punjab have plenty of firepower in the batting lineup, and with Bairstow back in form, they will fancy their chances of pulling off an upset. However, their spin attack has been largely unconvincing, and that could prove decisive at Chepauk.

PBKS have enough batting match-winners to secure the win if they bat second. However, taking the toss out of the equation, CSK are the obvious favorites to win.

Prediction: CSK to win Match 49 of IPL 2024.