Chennai Super Kings Impact Subs: Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Sarfaraz Khan, Matthew Short, Matt Henry.

Lucknow Super Giants Impact Subs: Josh Inglis, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Himmat Singh, Ayush Badoni.

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Choudhary

Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Mukul Choudhary, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Shami, Mayank Yadav, Akash Maharaj Singh, Prince Yadav

"It is a privilege to wear the yellow jersery. It is a venue where you have to bat and bowl well. There is a bit of moisture to start, but if we start well and get to 170-180 then it would be a challenging total. It is tough, you need to keep changing a lot, but it something which we cannot control but also gives an opportunity to the players, Urvil coming in, Mukesh coming in, it helps them grow and whenever we have a good squad, we deliver. It has been a must-win for a while now and we want to take it one game at a time. We have a couple of changes - Spencer Johnson makes his debut and Gurjapneet comes in for Akeal," said CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.

"We're going to look[ing] bowl first. The wicket is looking a little bit tacky, so just did not need to go out there and bat ourselves. As a team, we have a lot to achieve. We are a team, we run on trust, and that is something we are looking forward to. I think a lot of like Akash is playing today. I think he's getting his first chance of the season. We are trying a few things for the next season for sure. And just looking to give our 200% regardless of anything," said LSG captain Rishabh Pant.

"Definitely, there is no running away from the way we have played this season. But at the same time, there is a lot of positive what we can take because, we are a little frustrated as a team because we know we have it in the team. We can make it happen and sometimes things doesn't work your way, but at the same time, no complaints from that side. We've got to still play good cricket and look to improve ourselves each and every day," he added.

"We have two more changes. Abdul Samad and Mukul also come in," Pant concluded.

Ruturaj Gaikwad calls for tails and he gets it wrong! Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant has won the toss and opted to bowl against Chennai Super Kings in their IPL 2026 game in Lucknow tonight.

With the pressure of qualification no longer hanging over them, LSG could nevertheless prove dangerous at home, especially with the Ekana track increasingly favouring batters. CSK will also be wary of complacency against a side that now has the freedom to play without fear, and the home team will also back itself to exploit familiar conditions better than CSK.

We have the toss coming up in just five minutes from now. Stay connected!

LSG have little except pride to play for after failing to build any momentum through the season. Captain Rishabh Pant's prolonged poor form has hurt the side badly, while their bowling attack has struggled to defend totals or contain opposition batters in crucial phases, including in their first-leg game against CSK, when they failed to defend 203.

Despite frequent criticism over their lack of finishing firepower, the five-time champions have shown fight through crucial contributions from Sanju Samson, Urvil Patel, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and a few other emerging players.

Young batter Urvil's fearless approach at the top has added much-needed momentum to CSK's powerplay scoring. Tonight, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma and Dewald Brevis also have key roles to play in the middle overs on a surface expected to aid stroke-making.

The bowling unit of CSK has received a big blow recently with all-rounder Jamie Overton ruled out of the remainder of IPL due to a thigh injury and returning to the UK for further assessment. This significant blow affects CSK's playoff push, marking yet another injury setback this season.

While CSK have managed to stay afloat with timely wins in the second half of the season, LSG's campaign has unravelled due to a string of ordinary performances. For Chennai, the equation remains straightforward -- win remaining matches and advance to the next round. CSK are currently placed fifth in the pecking order with six wins from 11 matches.

First things first, Chennai Super Kings veteran player and former captain MS Dhoni continues to stay on the sidelines. He had his ticket booked for Lucknow with the team, but he opted not to travel. This means the player will miss tonight's game as well.

Many must have ruled out CSK before the start of IPL 2026, but here they are, fighting hard for the playoff race. With a hat-trick of wins, Chennai find themselves in serious contention for a playoff spot. The side, which has 12 points from 11 matches, faces Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, tonight. Stay connected for the live scores and updates.