After 32 games in IPL 2026, we are all set to embrace the greatest and oldest rivalry as two decorated teams with legacies behind them face-off as 5-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) faces 5-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. They call it El Clasico for a reason as two teams who have done it all before face-off in the latest chapter. MI are led by Hardik Pandya while CSK is being led by Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Both teams in this year’s IPL have struggled so far. Both teams languish at the bottom half of the table with 2 wins in 6 games with MI ahead of CSK on Net Run Rate. MI seems to have the momentum now after the GT clash while CSK lost their previous game to SRH. But history counts for nothing later tonight. Both teams will try and give their best. CSK is grappling with injury issues and form. MI are better off than that. But this clash is more than cricket, it’s an emotion.
Overview
The stage is set for Cricket’s El Clasico to take centre stage as two decorated sides face-off against each other with two crucial points up for grabs. It’s Mumbai Indians (MI) taking on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) from Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday 23rd April, 2026. Both teams with 10 titles between them now are at cross roads surviving by a thread in this IPL. Both are at the bottom half of the points table with 4 points from 6 games. MI are ahead of CSK on NRR as they occupy the 7th and 8th position in the points table as we speak.
MI under Hardik Pandya started their campaign with a resounding win over KKR as the Men in Blue won their opening encounter for the first time since 2012. But then the Men in Blue lost 4 games in a row and went down to 10th in the points table. All looked doom and gloom as Hardik’s credentials and team unity was questioned. But MI came back resoundingly well in their last game against GT in Ahmedabad.
In a ground where they had never beaten GT, MI batted first and were struggling till 14 overs before Tilak Varma turned it on and scored a mesmerizing ton as he scored 101 off 45 balls to power MI to 199 which was slightly above par on that black soil wicket. Thereafter, the bowlers came to the party. Jasprit Bumrah picked up his first wicket while Ashwani Kumar was the star as the Impact Player picked up 4 crucial scalps as GT were rolled over for 100 to lose by 99 runs.
MI went from 10th to 7th in one go because of this big win and now sit above CSK on NRR which could well be a psychological advantage to them later tonight. There is some good news coming from the MI camp. Rohit Sharma batted in the nets even more as he is grappling with hamstring issues. The signs are that he could return to the playing XI or as Impact Player. Will Jacks has finally arrived and has linked up with the squad and so, he is available for selection. It will be interesting to see what changes if any MI makes later tonight.
Their opponents for the night, CSK made an indifferent start under Ruturaj Gaikwad. With MS Dhoni sidelined till now, and Dewald Brevis joining later due to injury, CSK were up against it. Add to that the injuries to Nathan Ellis, Khaleel Ahmed, and CSK were one of the few teams to be hit with injuries. CSK started their campaign with hat-trick of loses to RR, PBKS, and RCB. The Men in Yellow bounced back in Chennai through Sanju Samson ton in one game to beat DC and KKR easily defending the score.
But they were given a reality check by SRH in Hyderabad as the Orange Army beat the Men in Yellow by 10 runs. Abhishek Sharma had given SRH a flying start as SRH looked to reach 200+ easily. But CSK with its limited resources managed to keep the score down to 193. But the curse of not chasing 180+ since 2019, still continues to haunt CSK. They started brightly in power play with Ayush Mhatre going great guns and was on 30 before he injured his hamstring badly. Sanju fell early while Gaikwad could not carry on the momentum.
The Men in Yellow lost the momentum as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. The finish for the innings was missing as they lacked a proper finisher. Shivam Dube and Jamie Overton failed to time the ball and Brevis went early. Shot selection was an issue and it showed that with no Dhoni around, CSK still don’t have a bankable finisher which is a concern for them. They have loads of issues to address ahead of this clash against rampaging MI.
To add to their woes, Ayush Mhatre has had a hamstring tear and has been ruled out of IPL 2026. CSK are yet to announce replacement although Urvil Patel might come in place of him in the XI later tonight. Akash Madhwal could be named as a replacement for Khaleel Ahmed who is also out injured. Spencer Johnson who was named Nathan Ellis’ replacement has linked up with the squad and is available for selection.
The biggest news is of MS Dhoni. Dhoni has been practising in the nets and lately, it was seen that he was doing wicket-keeping drills as well and showed no signs of discomfort. Does that suggest that MS will come back in the XI or as Impact Player? Only time will tell because honestly, no one knows the status of him. CSK needs MS Dhoni badly just for his presence and aura in the middle.
So, we could see a possibility of both icons Rohit and MS making their respective returns to the side after injuries. Let’s not forget Rohit and MS led MI and CSK to five titles each respectively. Current captains Hardik Pandya and Ruturaj Gaikwad needs runs and performance as well. Sanju Samson needs to be more consistent, while Suryakumar Yadav needs to come to the party and take inspiration from what Tilak did few nights ago. It will be interesting to see CSK’s line-up and how they shape up later tonight.
The stage is set for an engrossing battle in Mumbai. MI starts as favourites and winning momentum with them. Count CSK out at your own peril, as in T20s anything can happen. Mumbai will be buzzing later tonight.
Head-To-Head
MI and CSK have played against each other in 39 games with MI being victorious on 21 occasions while CSK have won 18 times. At the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, it is 8-5 in MI’s favour. In the last 10 matches between the two, it is CSK who leads 6-4. Last season in 2025, it was 1-1 between the two teams. In tournament finals, it is 3-1 in MI’s favour.
Pitch & Weather Report
The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is mainly regarded as a batting-friendly track. With small boundaries in the ground, batters get full advantage of hitting the shots making scoring easy. Bowlers will also get some assistance initially but the batters will take out maximum benefit from the ground.
As far as the weather is concerned, the temperature is expected to be around 31 degree Celsius in Mumbai on Thursday. It will be completely dry with no chance of rain and humidity of 58%.
Predicted Playing XIs of both sides
Here, we will predict the playing XIs of both sides.
MI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Will Jacks, Sherfane Rutherford, Naman Dhir, Krish Bhagat, Mitchell Santner, Jasprit Bumrah.
CSK: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sanju Samson, Urvil Patel, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, MS Dhoni (wk), Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Spencer Johnson.
Key Players to watch out for ahead of this clash
Quinton de Kock: Quinton de Kock made an immediate impact when he scored a glorious century against PBKS in Mumbai and carried his bat. He got a start in the previous game but got out to Kagiso Rabada. Back in Mumbai now, with the crowd behind him, de Kock would like to crush CSK’s faint hopes of winning with another impactful knock at the top of the order.
Jasprit Bumrah: With the monkey off his back now, Jasprit Bumrah will be up for the fight and will go all guns blazing in this contest. Bumrah who picked his first wicket of IPL 2026 this season will want to strike early and get rid of CSK top order to put the fragile middle order under extreme pressure. If Bumrah has his day, there is no chance for CSK in this clash.
Sanju Samson: With captain Ruturaj Gaikwad woefully out of form, the onus lies on Sanju Samson to be more consistent. Sanju is a type of player who could take the game away from the opposition in the power play. Sanju Samson has been in decent form and would like to carry that on in this big clash. With a fragile middle order, Sanju needs to fire. Wankhede will suit him and he will have good memories of scoring 89 in quick time in the semi-final against England in T20 WC 2026 semi-final.
Anshul Kamboj: He has been CSK’s best bowler and has gone under rated this season. He is in the Purple Cap list as we speak. Kamboj bowls well in the death overs. He can go for runs with the new ball. Kamboj’s spell in the death could be crucial in containing MI because he needs to take wickets. It is seen that if MI gets to 200 or more even on a flat track, CSK has no chance to win. So, Kamboj needs to get his execution right.
Key Stats and Records to watch out for in this clash
- Rohit Sharma needs 28 runs to complete 1,000 IPL runs against CSK, thereby becoming the second player to achieve this against a single team.
- Jasprit Bumrah needs 4 wickets to reach 350 T20 wickets.
- Suryakumar Yadav needs 3 fours to complete 950 fours in T20s and 68 runs to reach 4500 IPL runs.
- Tilak Varma needs 57 runs to reach 4500 T20 runs.
- Sherfane Rutherford needs 21 runs to reach 4500 T20 runs.
Predicted Outcome of the Match
We are hoping for a cracking game of cricket between the two decorated franchises to play the game. MI vs CSK is more than just a game, it is an emotion that divides parts of India. This game tonight is crucial as the winner will stay relevant, while the loser will all be out of the tournament. Looking at form and current team on paper and injury crisis, it is safe to say that MI, the Men in Blue starts as favourites. But count CSK out at your own peril. Lots of selection headaches for both teams.
Let’s see how things unfold in Cricket’s greatest rivalry later tonight in Mumbai.