Match 1? Done. Cooper Connolly walked into Mullanpur on debut and hit five sixes like he had been playing here for years. That's our team. Now we take it on the road.

And Sher Squad, this is exactly the kind of game that defines a season. One win down, momentum in our corner, and a squad that's only getting started. Friday night in Chennai isn't a detour - it's a statement. Here's what's coming.

The pitch? Spinners' paradise. Slow, dry, grips as the night goes on. But dew arrives with the lights, and suddenly chasing gets easier. So, what should the toss winner do? Bowl first, back the batters to do the rest. And trust us, Sadda batting lineup doesn't need favors.

The one contest that settles this? Yuzvendra Chahal vs CSK's top order. Yuzi on a Chepauk turning track isn't just a bowler - he's a problem that the Yellow Brigade will find tough to solve. Add that CSK's batting looked shaky in their opening game. But also keep a close eye out for Vijaykumar Vyshak, who can test the Chennai middle order’s endurance levels with his deceptive variations.

What do the Shers need? Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya to smash the new ball before the pitch wakes up. And Sarpanch Saab? Cool head, big game, you know what he does. CSK will have a plan for us. Shreyas will have a better one.

One more thing, Arshdeep Singh is three wickets away from 100 in the IPL. Chennai lights, big crowd, biggest stage; You already know what happens next.

32 meetings, 16 wins each - but Punjab have won seven of the last eight. This rivalry doesn't scare us. It fuels us.

CSK's fortress? Not on Friday. Kyunki Iss Baar Bhi…. BAS JEETNA HAI!

Punjab Kings Squad

Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harpreet Brar, Suryansh Shedge, Vishnu Vinod (wicketkeeper), Xavier Bartlett, Yash Thakur, Mitchell Owen, Harnoor Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyla Avinash, Marco Jansen, Lockie Ferguson, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Pravin Dubey, Vishal Nishad