Well, this is it from this live blog, folks! We hope you liked our coverage of the game. While LSG are already out of the playoff race, they have definitely dented CSK's chances. On that note, we close this blog. Good night!

Nicholas Pooran slams Anshul Kamboj for four consecutive sixes to finish the game with 20 balls to spare. LSG needed 24 off the final four overs, and Pooran finished things off with four back-to-back maximums. LSG win the game by seven wickets.

CSK 187/5 (20)

LSG 188/3 (16.4)

Mukesh Choudhary conceded eight runs in his third over. Mukul Choudhary hit the pacer for a four over backward point. Lucknow Super Giants need 24 runs in 24 balls. They could chase it down easily.

LSG 164-3 (16)

Ten came off Gurjapneet Singh's third over. He was smashed for two fours in it. Mukesh Choudhary and Nicholas Pooran hit a boundary each. Lucknow Super Giants need 32 runs in 30 balls.

LSG 156-3 (15)

OUT! Spencer Johnson has bowled Abdul Samad. The pacer got hit for a six over long-on, but he returns in style. It was a good-length ball bowled at 143 kmph. The ball took off the middle stump. Lucknow Super Giants need 44 runs in 40 balls.

Abdul Samad b Spencer Johnson 7(3) [6s-1]

LSG 144-3 (13.2)

OUT! Mitchell Marsh has been run out! Oh, no, what an unfortunate dismissal this is for the LSG opener, who was only 10 runs away from a terrific century. Nicholas Pooran drove the ball down the ground, and Mukesh got a fingertip to it. The ball broke the stumps at the non-striker's end with Marsh well out of his crease.

Mitchell Marsh run out (Mukesh Choudhary) 90(38) [4s-9 6s-7]

LSG 135-2 (11.5)

Josh Inglis is OUT! CSK get the first breakthrough, finalllly! However, it might be late for them now. The LSG opener sliced this Mukesh Choudhary delivery to the fielder in the deep.

Josh Inglis c Urvil Patel b Mukesh Choudhary 36(32) [4s-3 6s-1]

LSG 135-1 (11.4)

Only five runs came off the Noor Ahmad over. At a time when all the other CSK bowlers have leaked over 10 runs per over, Noor Ahmad has an economy rate of 6.30 after bowling three overs. Lucknow Super Giants need 59 runs in 54 balls.

LSG 129-0 (11)

A lower full toss from Gurjapneet Singh, and Mitchell Marsh slams it through extra cover for a four. Ten came off the over. With that boundary, the LSG opener has moved to 83 off 34 balls. This has been an incredible knock so far. He has thrown CSK out of the game. Lucknow need only 64 to win in 60.

LSG 124-0 (10)

Mitchell Marsh is firing on all cylinders. He smashed Gurjapneet Singh for a four and a six in this over. Fourteen came off it, with Marsh moving to 75 off just 29 balls. Lucknow Super Giants need 79 runs in 72 balls.

LSG 109-0 (8)

4, 4, 6 – This is a sensational piece of batting from Mitchell Marsh! He raced to his half-century in just 21 balls. Right after reaching the mark, the right-handed batter smashed a biggie. Nineteen came off the Spencer Johnson over.

LSG 86-0 (6)

6, 6, 6, 6, 0, 4! Mitchell Marsh went berserk against Anshul Kamboj in the fifth over and slammed the CSK pacer for four consecutive sixes. The fifth ball, too, could have been a boundary, but it deflected off the pacer’s boot and went towards the fielder. Marsh finished the over with a four.

LSG 67-0 (5)

This is another good over from Spencer Johnson. He was hit for a first-ball six, but he made a brilliant comeback, conceding only two singles in the remaining five balls. He missed the outside edges of the bat by really close margins. Eight runs came off the over.

LSG 39-0 (4)

Anshul Kamboj was handed the ball, and he leaked 11 runs in his first over. Josh Inglis started with a four through the covers, while Mitchell Marsh slashed the third ball over cover-point for the second boundary of the over.

LSG 31-0 (3)

Spencer Johnson started beautifully on this track. He was just unlucky not to get a wicket. The pacer swung the ball well and troubled both the LSG openers. Only five runs came off the over.

LSG 20-0 (2)

Mukesh Choudhary bowled poorly but ended his first over with a terrific delivery. He surprised Josh Inglis with a bouncer. The batter bent while failing to play it well. The ball hit his glove, and he fell on the floor. 15 came off the first over.

LSG 15-0 (1)

LSG have brought in Josh Inglis as an Impact Player. For CSK, Shivam Dube goes out for Gurjapneet Singh. The chase is set to begin in Lucknow. Mukesh is bowling the first over. Here we go...

6, 4, 4, 6 – Shivam Dube finishes off in style! He smashes Prince Yadav for two fours and as many sixes in the final over. Prashant Veer started with a couple and then took a single. The rest of the over was all about Dube's terrific hitting. He ends up scoring 32 not out off 16.

CSK 187-5 (20)

Eleven came off the final over of Mohammed Shami. He ends his quota with figures of 1 for 41. Final over coming up. Prince Yadav will bowl. LSG get a penalty for an innings delay. They will have one fielder less outside the 30-yard circle.

CSK 164-5 (19)

Four runs came off the over. Mayank Yadav bowled brilliantly in his final one of the night. He ends wicketless but with tidy figures of 0 for 26. The pacer leaked 14 in his first over but made a brilliant comeback to concede only 12 in the next three.

CSK 153-5 (18)

Prince Yadav conceded only seven runs in his third over. Lucknow Super Giants are pulling things back a bit here. CSK have three more overs to go. If they could add 30–40 more, they would have a competitive score on the board.

CSK 149-5 (17)

6, 4, 4, OUT! Shahbaz Ahmed has the final laugh against Kartik Sharma! The right-handed batter smashed the spinner for a six and two fours in the over but lost his wicket on the final ball. Kartik dug out the last ball to Aiden Markram at long-on.

Kartik Sharma c Aiden Markram b Shahbaz Ahmed 71(42) [4s-6 6s-5]

CSK 142-5 (16)

That is a superb shot from Kartik Sharma for a four. Mohammed Shami bowled a short ball to the right-handed batter while trying to cramp him for room. Kartik somehow adjusted and slammed it over backward point for a four. Even Shami gave a helpless look to that shot.

CSK 127-4 (15)

OUT! Dewald Brevis has been dismissed by Mohammed Shami! It was a short ball, and the CSK batter was hurried on the pull shot. He ended up edging it in the air. Akash Singh took the catch after moving to his left from short fine leg.

Dewald Brevis c Akash Singh b Mohammed Shami 25(16) [6s-2]

CSK 122-4 (14.4)

A fuller ball outside off-stump and that has been slammed over the extra cover for a biggie. With this shot, Kartik Sharma races to his half-century in 35 balls. This is the second fifty for the CSK youngster this season.

CSK 121-3 (14.2)

Kartik Sharma has been smashing short balls beautifully. Prince Yadav dropped two such deliveries in this over, and the CSK batter hit both of them for maximums. The first one went over deep mid-wicket, while the second went over deep fine leg.

CSK 108-3 (13)

Mayank Yadav started his spell with a 14-run over tonight, but he has made a really good recovery. The pacer has conceded only eight runs in the next two overs. Dewald Brevis and Kartik Sharma are stitching a good partnership here.

CSK 92-3 (12)

Shahbaz Ahmed pitched it up on the off side, and Dewald Brevis slammed a no-look shot for a six. The ball went really high in the air but crossed the long-on fence quite easily. “What a fine shot this is!” says former India captain Sunil Gavaskar on air.

CSK 86-3 (11)

In case you are wondering what was written on Akash Singh's chit that he was showing after every wicket tonight. Here it is: "#Akki on fire- Akash knows how to take wickets in T20 game."

Shahbaz Ahmed bowled short, and Kartik Sharma smashed it for a biggie. He rocked onto the back foot and pulled the ball powerfully for a maximum over deep mid-wicket. Eight runs came off Shahbaz's first over.

CSK 69-3 (9)

Ten came off the over. That puts an end to Akash Singh's superb spell. He returns with figures of 3 for 26. The left-arm pacer has rattled CSK's top order with some terrific bowling. He set a good field and then executed his plan brilliantly.

CSK 61-3 (8)

OUT! Akash Singh gets his third wicket. The pacer has dismissed Urvil Patel. Another set-up for the short ball, and yet another CSK batter perishes to it. Urvil pulled it well but found the fielder on the leg side. Akash gets yet another opportunity to show his chit to everyone.

Urvil Patel c Mitchell Marsh b Akash Singh 6(7) [4s-1]

CSK 52-3 (7.2)

Mayank Yadav bowls it fuller on the legs of Urvil Patel, and the right-handed batter flicks it through deep mid-wicket for a four. Mayank continues to be expensive in IPL 2026. He starts with a 14-run over.

CSK 51-2 (7)

Superb field placement and bowling from Akash Singh. He gets the wicket of Sanju Samson! It was a short ball from the left-arm pacer, cramping the batter for room. All Samson could do was pull it into the hands of deep backward square leg. Akash takes out that chit again.

Sanju Samson c Mukul Choudhary b Akash Singh 20(20) [4s-3]

CSK 37-2 (5.5)

Prince Yadav was brought into the attack, and he bowled a tight over to start with. The pacer conceded only three runs in it, keeping both the CSK batters in check. The pitch has some really good bounce, and Prince made good use of it.

CSK 34-1 (5)

Here's the first wicket for LSG! Akash Singh has dismissed Ruturaj Gaikwad! It was a good length delivery from Akash Singh. The ball hit high on the bat of Gaikwad and carried to the fielder at mid-on. Akash takes a chit out of his pocket, he shows it to the crowd to celebrate this wicket.

Ruturaj Gaikwad c Nicholas Pooran b Akash Singh 13(9) [4s-2]

CSK 31-1 (3.5)

Mohammed Shami leaked 13 in his first over but conceded only five in his second. The veteran LSG pacer had a good field set-up this time, with a man in the deep on the off side. That helped him keeping Samson away from a boundary.

CSK 22-0 (3)

Akash Maharaj Singh bowled poorly and got smashed for a four, but he made a good recovery to keep it an economical over. The left-arm pacer bowled a short ball down the leg stump on the second delivery, and Ruturaj Gaikwad pulled it away fine for a four. A total of seven runs came off the over.

CSK 20-0 (2)

4, 0, 4, 4 -Sanju Samson is off to a wonderful start here in Lucknow. He smashed Mohammed Shami for three fours in the very first over. Two were hit beautifully on the off side, while one came after Samson got an inside edge that went through fine leg.

CSK 13-0 (1)

The play begins in Lucknow. Mohammed Shami starts with a beautiful swinging delivery. That was pitched at good length and then shaped away from Sanju Samson, beating his outside edge.

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 wins the toss and opts 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.