Chennai Super Kings asked fans on Saturday to keep political banners, flags and hoardings out of the MA Chidambaram Stadium before their IPL 2026 match against Lucknow Super Giants. The franchise said supporters should come for cricket, not political messaging, at Chepauk.
In a post on its official social media handles, CSK wrote: “Come celebrate cricket and the spirit of the game with us. Anbuden request our superfans to avoid bringing banners, flags or hoardings associated with any political party/person and enjoy the game with full yellove.” The match is scheduled for May 9, 2026, and comes a day before Vijay is due to be sworn in as chief minister of Tamil Nadu on May 10.
The appeal lands against a familiar backdrop at Chepauk. During the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 in February and March, whistles were reportedly stopped from being taken into the stadium, after police personnel allegedly warned vendors against selling them outside the venue. The whistle is the election symbol of Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, and the episode triggered confusion over whether there had been an official restriction.
The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association later said the restriction had not been imposed by it, the Board of Control for Cricket in India or the International Cricket Council, and said police authorities had informed them about it. A senior Chennai police official later clarified there was no official ban on whistles and suggested the confusion may have come from extra caution by personnel on the ground.
That history gives Saturday’s request a sharper edge. CSK is trying to keep the spotlight on cricket inside one of the sport’s most politically charged venues, just as the state enters a new political phase with Vijay set to take office. Whether fans follow the franchise’s lead will shape the atmosphere at Chepauk when lsg vs csk takes place under the latest round of scrutiny.
