The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is gearing up for the Southern Derby as the SunRisers Hyderabad will face a resurgent Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2026 on April 18, Saturday.

Both teams are entering the battle on the back of confident-boosting wins; hence, there is likely not much to separate the two sides. Nevertheless, one can expect a high-scoring bout as the venue is usually quite batting-friendly and aids six-hitting. Eyes will also be on whether or not MS Dhoni takes the field for the first time in IPL 2026.

SRH vs CSK Winner Prediction: Match 27 Details, IPL 2026

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium pitch report

The surface at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has been usually quite batting-friendly. According to reports, the pitch will be played on the same surface where the SunRisers mustered a match-winning total of 216 against the Rajasthan Royals, helped by Ishan Kishan’s explosive 91. Although Riyan Parag had opted to bowl first then, he admitted that the pitch was tacky in the second innings. But with dew being a factor due to the temperatures in the evening likely to be 29 degrees, the side winning the toss may want to bowl first.

SRH vs CSK Toss Prediction: Who Will Win Today's IPL 2026 Match Toss Between SunRisers Hyderabad And Chennai Super Kings?

• Toss Winner Prediction:SunRisers Hyderabad.

• Decision:The captain winning the toss is likely tobowl first.

• Reasoning: Since it’s an evening fixture in Hyderabad, dew has more than an even chance to appear, making batting easier in the second innings. With the temperatures slated to be 29 degrees in Hyderabad, dew can be a massive factor.

  SRH vs CSK Winner Prediction IPL 2026: Probable Playing XIs

  SunRisers Hyderabad:Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(w/c), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Praful Hinge, Eshan Malinga.(Impact subs: Sakib Hussain, Liam Livingstone)Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Khaleel Ahmed.(Impact subs: Akeal Hosein, Prashant Veer, Matt Henry)

  SRH vs CSK Winner Prediction: Who Will Win Today's IPL 2026 Match Between SunRisers Hyderabad And Chennai Super Kings?

  As mentioned above, there is not much to choose between the two sides, given they are coming off victories. The Super Kings could slightly edge out the SunRisers due to their top-order batting might. While the SunRisers also possess superstars at the top, the likes of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head have been inconsistent.