Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have a slight edge to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2026 Match 27 on April 18, 2026, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.
Both teams sit on 4 points from 5 matches. But CSK arrive on the back of two consecutive wins, while SRH are without captain Pat Cummins and key pacer David Payne. CSK’s 15-7 head-to-head dominance and superior balance tip the scales in the visitors’ favor.
IPL 2026 Match 27 SRH vs CSK Match Info
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Match | Match 27, IPL 2026 (TATA IPL) |
| Teams | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings |
| Date | Saturday, April 18, 2026 |
| Time | 7:30 PM IST |
| Venue | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad |
| Live Broadcast | Star Sports Network |
| Live Streaming | JioHotstar |
| SRH Captain | Ishan Kishan (Pat Cummins injured) |
| CSK Captain | Ruturaj Gaikwad |
IPL 2026 Match 27 Odds for SRH vs CSK
The betting market sees this as a tight contest. SRH’s home advantage keeps their odds competitive, hovering around 1.80-1.90. CSK, riding form and a dominant head-to-head record, are priced around 1.95-2.05. The toss market is almost dead even, as both captains will want to bowl first due to dew at Hyderabad.
| Platform | SRH Win | CSK Win | Toss (SRH) | Toss (CSK) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1xBet | 1.85 | 1.98 | 1.90 | 1.85 |
| Stake | 1.82 | 2.00 | 1.85 | 1.90 |
| 4RABET | 1.88 | 2.05 | 1.90 | 1.85 |
| BetVibe | 1.84 | 1.96 | 1.85 | 1.90 |
IPL 2026 Match 27 Toss Prediction for SRH vs CSK
At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, the toss decision has become almost predictable.
Chasing teams have won approximately 57% of matches at this venue, based on 84 T20S played here. The evening humidity in April rises as the match progresses, and while dew is not as extreme as Chinnaswamy, it still makes gripping the ball difficult in the final 5-6 overs.
Expect both Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad to opt for fielding first if they win the toss. This IPL 2026 season, SRH have batted first in their last home game and posted 216/6 against RR, so the hosts are also comfortable setting targets.
Toss Prediction: The toss winner will opt to field first.
SRH Predicted Playing XI for IPL 2026 Match 27
SRH are hit by multiple injury blows heading into this match. Pat Cummins confirmed on Instagram that he won’t play against CSK, opting to target the April 25 clash vs RR instead. David Payne has been ruled out of the tournament with an ankle injury. Brydon Carse was replaced by Dilshan Madushanka earlier this week.
The silver lining? Ishan Kishan smashed 91 off 44 balls against RR in their last game, and debutants Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain took 4 wickets each in that match. These youngsters have injected fresh energy into the bowling attack.
Predicted XI:
| Rank | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abhishek Sharma | Batter (Opener) |
| 2 | Travis Head | Batter (Opener) |
| 3 | Ishan Kishan (c) | WK-Batter |
| 4 | Heinrich Klaasen (wk) | WK-Batter |
| 5 | Aniket Verma | Batter |
| 6 | Liam Livingstone | All-rounder |
| 7 | Nitish Kumar Reddy | All-rounder |
| 8 | Harsh Dubey | All-rounder |
| 9 | Eshan Malinga | Bowler |
| 10 | Sakib Hussain | Bowler |
| 11 | Praful Hinge | Bowler |
| 12 (Impact) | Harshal Patel / Zeeshan Ansari | Bowler / Spinner |
Key Injury/Absence Updates for SRH
- Pat Cummins confirmed on April 15 via Instagram that he is flying back to India on April 17, but targeting the April 25 game against RR. He will NOT play against CSK or DC.
- David Payne (left-arm pacer) has been ruled out of IPL 2026 with an ankle injury. SRH confirmed this on their official X (Twitter) account on April 16.
- Brydon Carse has been replaced in the squad by a Sri Lankan left-arm pacer, Dilshan Madushanka.
- Jack Edwards was ruled out for the entire season with a foot injury.
CSK Predicted Playing XI for IPL 2026 Match 27
CSK has their own injury headaches. MS Dhoni is still recovering from a calf strain and is expected to return on April 23 against MI. Khaleel Ahmed has been ruled out of IPL 2026 entirely with a right quadricep tear suffered during the KKR match on April 14. Nathan Ellis is also sidelined for the season.
Despite these setbacks, CSK has momentum. Anshul Kamboj leads the team’s wicket-takers with 10 scalps so far. Jamie Overton has been brilliant with 87 runs and 5 wickets, including a stunning 4/18 vs DC. Sarfaraz Khan has impressed with 122 runs at a strike rate of 182.09.
Predicted XI:
| Rank | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruturaj Gaikwad (c) | Batter (Opener) |
| 2 | Sanju Samson (wk) | WK-Batter |
| 3 | Ayush Mhatre | Batter |
| 4 | Shivam Dube | All-rounder |
| 5 | Dewald Brevis | Batter |
| 6 | Sarfaraz Khan | Batter |
| 7 | Jamie Overton | All-rounder |
| 8 | Prashant Veer | All-rounder |
| 9 | Anshul Kamboj | Bowler |
| 10 | Noor Ahmad | Bowler |
| 11 | Mukesh Choudhary | Bowler |
| 12 (Impact) | Matt Henry / Gurjapneet Singh | Bowler |
Key Injury/Absence Updates for CSK
- MS Dhoni suffered a calf strain during pre-season. He has been training with the squad and facing throwdowns, but is NOT match-fit yet. CSK expects him back on April 23 against the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede.
- Khaleel Ahmed sustained a grade 2 quadricep tear during the KKR match (April 14) and is ruled out for 10-12 weeks. CSK may bring in Mukesh Choudhary or Ramakrishna Ghosh as a replacement.
- Nathan Ellis is out for the entire IPL 2026 season. His replacement, Spencer Johnson, has yet to join the squad.
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium Pitch Report IPL 2026
The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad, is a proper batting paradise. Flat, hard, and with true bounce, this surface rewards stroke play from ball one.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Stadium | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad |
| Capacity | 55,000 |
| Pitch Type | Flat, true bounce, batting-friendly |
| Average 1st Innings Score (IPL, this season) | 186 runs |
| Highest Score at Venue (IPL) | 286/6 (SRH vs RR, 2025) |
| Matches Won Batting First | 41.67% (from 84 T20S) |
| Matches Won Bowling First | 57.14% |
| Best Strategy | Bat second (dew + chasing advantage) |
What to expect from the surface on April 18:
- Pacers get an early swing in the powerplay, especially with the new ball under lights. But the movement doesn’t last beyond 3-4 overs.
- Spinners struggle to turn on this surface. The pitch has historically leaked nearly 11 runs per over to spin. Pace variations and clever changes of length are the only way to survive.
- Short boundaries on one side mean mishits can still clear the rope. Power hitters thrive here.
- The dew in April is moderate compared to March, but the rising humidity to 40%+ as the night progresses still makes gripping the ball tricky for bowlers in the death overs.
- Expected score range: 180-220 per innings. Anything above 200 is a strong total. Below 170 is very chaseable.
Hyderabad Weather Report, April 18, 2026
Scorching Hyderabad heat in the daytime, but the evening should be manageable for cricket. No rain threat at all.
| Weather Factor | Details |
|---|---|
| Condition | Clear to partly cloudy skies |
| Temperature (Daytime High) | 38-40°C |
| Temperature (Evening, Match Time) | 29-33°C |
| Humidity | 25% early, rising to 40%+ by 9 PM |
| Wind Speed | Light breeze, 10-12 km/h from the south |
| Cloud Cover | Minimal |
| Dew Factor | Moderate dew expected from 14th-15th over of the 2nd innings |
| Rain Probability | Less than 10% during match hours |
| Match Interruption Risk | Very low; full 40-over contest expected |
SRH vs CSK Head-to-Head Last 5 Matches
Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings have enjoyed a competitive run in their last five meetings, with both sides securing wins and delivering closely fought matches.
Overall Head-to-Head (IPL History)
| Matches Played | SRH Wins | CSK Wins | No Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 7 | 15 | 0 |
CSK dominates this rivalry with a 68% win rate. But the recent trend tells a different story. SRH beat CSK at Chepauk for the first time ever in IPL 2025, signaling that the gap is narrowing.
Last 5 Matches
| Match | Date | Winner | Margin | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL 2025 | April 25, 2025 | SRH | 5 wickets | MA Chidambaram, Chennai |
| IPL 2024 | May 5, 2024 | CSK | 78 runs | MA Chidambaram, Chennai |
| IPL 2024 | March 30, 2024 | SRH | 6 wickets | Rajiv Gandhi, Hyderabad |
| IPL 2023 | April 21, 2023 | CSK | 7 wickets | MA Chidambaram, Chennai |
| IPL 2022 | May 1, 2022 | CSK | 13 runs | MCA Stadium, Pune |
In the last 5 matches, CSK won 3. However, SRH won the most recent meeting, and they also won the last time these two played in Hyderabad (IPL 2024, by 6 wickets). That’s an encouraging stat for the home side.
Rivalry Highlights Worth Knowing:
Shane Watson’s unbeaten 117 in the 2018 IPL Final against SRH remains the defining innings of this rivalry. CSK won the title on its comeback after a two-year suspension.
MS Dhoni leads all run-scorers in this fixture with 436 runs. Sanju Samson, now wearing CSK yellow, holds the best record against SRH among all CSK batters with 867 runs at a strike rate of 139.29 (from his RR days included).
Anshul Kamboj and Harshal Patel will be in the spotlight. Harshal’s 4/28 at Chepauk in 2025 was the match-winning spell for SRH.
Our Prediction: CSK Has Better Chances to Win Against SRH in IPL 2026 Match 27
Bottom line up front: CSK win, chasing a target in the 175-195 range, by 4-5 wickets.
Why CSK Wins
Form and momentum. CSK have won their last two matches, beating Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders back-to-back at home. Jamie Overton’s all-round brilliance and Anshul Kamboj’s consistent wicket-taking have given the bowling unit genuine bite.
Head-to-head dominance. CSK’s 15-7 record is not a fluke. Even accounting for SRH’s recent improvement, CSK have the psychological edge in this rivalry. Five-time champions don’t forget how to win big games.
Team balance. Even without Dhoni and Khaleel, CSK’s batting order runs deep. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Dewald Brevis, Sarfaraz Khan, and Shivam Dube give them firepower through the middle order. Noor Ahmad’s left-arm wrist spin adds a dimension that SRH’s batting struggles against.
Why SRH Could Win
Home advantage. SRH have won the last encounter against CSK at Hyderabad in IPL 2024, and the crowd at Uppal is as passionate as any in the IPL.
Ishan Kishan’s form. The stand-in captain is in red-hot touch. His 91 off 44 balls against RR showed he can single-handedly change a match. If Kishan fires in the powerplay, SRH’s batting becomes genuinely scary.
Young bowling guns. Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain took 8 wickets between them in the last match. If these uncapped bowlers can replicate that performance, CSK’s middle order will be under genuine pressure.
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Final Verdict
CSK’s superior balance and current form give them the edge here. SRH’s bowling, weakened by the absence of Cummins, Carse, and Payne, lacks the depth to defend or restrict consistently on a batting-friendly Hyderabad pitch.
Prediction: CSK to win by 4-5 wickets while chasing.
If SRH bat first, expect them to post 180-195. CSK should chase it down with overs to spare if their top order fires.
This prediction is based on publicly available squad data, injury reports, venue stats, and historical records as of April 17, 2026.
