IPL 2026: CSK Star Sarfaraz Khan Wanted Chennai Super Kings To Face Punjab Kings As First Opponent; Here's Why | VIDEO

Chennai, March 11: Mumbai-based Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star Sarfaraz Khan said that he wanted Punjab Kings as their first opponent in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Sarfaraz Khan made the wish in a video shared by CSK on their official social media account and the video is now going viral. Sarfaraz also revealed the reason behind the unusual request which has grabbed the fans' attention online.

Sarfaraz Khan said that his brother Musheer Alam Khan is also a part of the Punjab Kings squad. He said that he wanted a brother vs brother clash in their first game of the IPL 2026 season. Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer is also a good friend of Sarfaraz Khan as they both represent Mumbai in the domestic circuit.

The Indian Premier League 2026 is scheduled to begin from March 28 with Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru. Chennai Super Kings will be facing Rajasthan Royals in their first clash on March 30 in Guwahati.

Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings will be held April 3 in Chennai. Both brothers will be against each other in the high-voltage clash. The BCCI announced the schedule today and Sarfaraz Khan's wish could not come true. However, he will be excited for his second game against his brother.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will enter the season as the defending champions after winning their first IPL title in 2025.

The tournament will feature 10 teams and a total of 84 matches in a double round-robin format. Matches are set to be played across several major cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Guwahati, Lucknow and Bengaluru.

IPL 2026 Teams And Their Captains:

1. Chennai Super Kings - Ruturaj Gaikwad

2. Mumbai Indians - Hardik Pandya

3. Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Rajat Patidar

4. Kolkata Knight Riders - Ajinkya Rahane

5. Gujarat Titans - Shubman Gill

6. Rajasthan Royals - Riyan Parag

7. Lucknow Super Giants - Rishabh Pant

8. Sunrisers Hyderabad - Pat Cummins

9. Delhi Capitals - Axar Patel

10. Punjab Kings - Shreyas Iyer

IPL 2026 schedule

28 Mar 2026 (Sat): Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — Bengaluru

29 Mar 2026 (Sun): Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders — Mumbai

30 Mar 2026 (Mon): Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings — Guwahati

31 Mar 2026 (Tue): Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans — Mullanpur

01 Apr 2026 (Wed): Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals — Lucknow

02 Apr 2026 (Thu): Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — Kolkata

03 Apr 2026 (Fri): Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings — Chennai

04 Apr 2026 (Sat): Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians — Delhi

04 Apr 2026 (Sat): Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals — Ahmedabad

05 Apr 2026 (Sun): Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants — Hyderabad

05 Apr 2026 (Sun): Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings — Bengaluru

06 Apr 2026 (Mon): Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings — Kolkata

07 Apr 2026 (Tue): Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians — Guwahati

08 Apr 2026 (Wed): Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans — Delhi

09 Apr 2026 (Thu): Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants — Kolkata

10 Apr 2026 (Fri): Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — Guwahati

11 Apr 2026 (Sat): Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — Mullanpur

11 Apr 2026 (Sat): Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals — Chennai

12 Apr 2026 (Sun): Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans — Lucknow

12 Apr 2026 (Sun): Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — Mumbai