IPL 2026 Match 63: CSK bat first vs SRH, Hosein returns as Dhoni sits out
Synopsis
CSK's playoff survival hinges on this Chepauk fixture — they must win both remaining games, and they're doing it without MS Dhoni. Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and chose to bat, bringing Akeal Hosein back into the XI, as SRH arrive at the venue still smarting from an 87-run loss to Gujarat Titans.
Key Takeaways
CSK won the toss and elected to bat against SRH in IPL 2026 Match 63 at M.A.
Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on 18 May .
Akeal Hosein returns to the CSK XI, replacing Gurjapneet Singh .
MS Dhoni is absent due to injury; captain Ruturaj Gaikwad confirmed he is 'not fit enough to play'.
CSK are sixth with 6 wins from 12 matches and must win their last two games to qualify for the playoffs.
SRH are third with 7 wins from 12 matches , fielding an unchanged side under Pat Cummins .
SRH's last outing was an 87-run defeat to Gujarat Titans ; CSK lost by 7 wickets to LSG .
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won the toss and chose to bat against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Match 63 of IPL 2026 at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday, 18 May. The hosts made one change to their playing XI, with spinner Akeal Hosein returning in place of Gurjapneet Singh, while MS Dhoni remains unavailable due to injury.
Toss and Team News
CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, after calling correctly at the toss, explained the decision: 'We are looking to bat first. Well, it's nothing complicated, it's just simple for us. Take it one game at a time, look to win this one, look to start well, look to assess the conditions well, and put your best foot forward.'
On the pitch and conditions, Gaikwad added: 'We have to respect conditions and choose what's best for the conditions. And yes, I think batting first looks good here now.' When asked about Dhoni, the captain confirmed: 'He's still here, but he's not fit enough to play this game. Hopefully we win this one, and you'll have a low in the last game. We got just one chance. Akeal comes in for Gurjapneet.'
SRH captain Pat Cummins, fielding an unchanged side, acknowledged the toss loss philosophically: '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.'
CSK's Playoff Equation
Chennai Super Kings sit sixth on the points table with six wins and six losses from 12 matches. Despite a difficult start — losing their opening three games — CSK have clawed back into playoff contention. However, their margin for error has vanished: they must win their remaining two matches to stay alive. They arrive at this fixture on the back of a seven-wicket defeat to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Stadium.
SRH's Position and Recent Form
Sunrisers Hyderabad have mirrored CSK's trajectory in reverse — a shaky start followed by a strong recovery. They currently occupy third place with seven wins from 12 matches. A win here would significantly strengthen their qualification prospects. SRH, however, come into this game bruised after an 87-run hammering by Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Playing XIs
Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Spencer Johnson. Impact substitutes: Gurjapneet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary, Azam Khan, Matthew Short, Sarfaraz Khan.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Smaran Ravichandran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins (c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge. Impact substitutes: Travis Head, Liam Livingstone, Aniket Verma, Harshal Patel, Harsh Dubey.
With CSK needing a win to keep their IPL 2026 campaign alive and SRH looking to cement their top-four berth, the stakes at Chepauk are high on both sides.
Point of View
A logical call on a surface that historically assists slow bowlers in the second half of the game. For SRH, the 87-run loss to Gujarat Titans raises a question about batting depth when their top order fails — a vulnerability CSK's spinners will look to exploit. The real story here is not the toss, but whether Gaikwad can lead from the front with the bat when the margin for error is zero.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is MS Dhoni not playing in CSK vs SRH IPL 2026 Match 63?
MS Dhoni is unavailable due to injury. CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad confirmed at the toss that Dhoni 'is not fit enough to play this game', though he is present at the venue.
Who replaced Gurjapneet Singh in CSK's playing XI for Match 63?
Akeal Hosein replaced Gurjapneet Singh as the one change CSK made to their playing XI for the match against SRH at Chennai.
What are CSK's playoff chances in IPL 2026?
CSK are sixth on the points table with six wins from 12 matches. They must win both their remaining matches to stay in playoff contention, leaving no margin for error.
Where do SRH stand on the IPL 2026 points table?
Sunrisers Hyderabad are placed third with seven wins from 12 matches. A win against CSK would significantly bolster their qualification prospects heading into the final stretch.
What was the recent form of CSK and SRH before Match 63?
CSK lost their previous game by seven wickets to Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium. SRH suffered an 87-run defeat against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
