Welcome to the rivalry that defines the IPL!
Chennai Super Kings vs. Mumbai Indians. With five titles apiece, these are two of the most prosperous IPL teams. Most of the time, these two teams have produced memorable performances and spectacular games. And now there are two struggling teams at the bottom of the table. |
| Sanju Samson kept up his strong play |
Will the Chennai Super Kings halt their two-game losing run, or will the Mumbai Indians continue their comeback with consecutive victories?
Keep checking back with us to find out.
Apr 23, 2026, 4:45 PM
Will Dhoni and Rohit be present?
Whether or whether Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni, two of India's and the IPL's greatest legends, appear on their team sheets will be the main focus. Rohit was supposed to play in MI's most recent game, the victory over Gujarat Titans, but he didn't. This season, Dhoni has not participated in a single game.They both batted in the nets prior to today's match, though, so spectators might be able to watch them play at the Wankhede.
Apr 23, 2026, 4:59 PM
CSK's problems with injuries
Ayush Mhatre was one of CSK's bright spots during a challenging start to the season. But like Khaleel Ahmed before him, Mhatre's injury has prevented him from competing in the 2026 IPL.Nathan Ellis is already on their list of injured players.
Akash Madhwal, a former MI player, has taken Mhatre's spot as a fast bowler.
Apr 23, 2026, 6:42 PM
"No sign of Ro-Dho"
Our eyes and ears speak to Wankhede. Tonight, Vishal Dikshit is out there. Say hello to him if you come across him."The biggest day for Wankhede!" adds Vishal. The major match between MI and CSK, the league's most talked-about rivalry, will take place in Mumbai on the fourth day of the IPL. Since many fans have already claimed their places, it's somehow not as humid and muggy as it typically is in Mumbai at the end of April. It should come as no surprise that many of them have the number "7" inscribed on the back in yellow. This raises the crucial question: will Dhoni play today at last? He batted in the nets yesterday and hammered several big ones beyond the boundary rope. The day before, he kept wickets in the nets. He hasn't been seen yet because the CSK coaches and players have only begun to descend the stairs. Ashwani Kumar, who scored a four-for against GT, recent rookie Krish Bhagat, and Bumrah have all made runs thus far, but there aren't many indications that MI is changing.
Apr 23, 2026, 7:01 PM
Toss: MI bowl
In the inaugural EL Clasico of the 2026 Indian Premier League, Hardik Pandya chose to bowl after winning the toss. Additionally, he was pleased to play for the same side that defeated the Gujarat Titans three days prior, despite the fact that injured Rohit Sharma was still not fit to play again. One alteration was announced by the Chennai Super Kings, but it wasn't what everyone had hoped for. MS Dhoni is still not playing. This is the first MI vs. CSK match in which neither Rohit nor Dhoni are present.In this match between the five-time champions, both captains desired to bowl. Prashant Veer has been substituted for Matt Short, according to Ruturaj Gaikwad, even though Kartik Sharma was listed in the starting lineup rather than Veer. According to Hardik, the pitch "looks green but it plays pretty well."
Both MI and CSK are towards the bottom of the table, and their playing styles have drawn criticism. With his runs drying up and his captaincy resulting in four defeats in six games, Gaikwad has also been under intense criticism. Ayush Mhatre, a Mumbai lad, and Khaleel Ahmed, a new-ball bowler, are two of the important players he has had to deal with being injured.
MI XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (capt), Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell Santner, Krish Bhagat, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar
Impact Player options: Will Jacks, Raj Bawa, Shardul Thakur, Danish Malewar, Mayank Rawat
CSK XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Sanju Samson (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma Jamie Overton, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Gurjapneet Singh Mukesh Choudhary
Impact Player options: Prashant Veer, Matt Short, Matt Henry, Akeal Hosein, Urvil Patel
Apr 23, 2026, 7:33 PM
Bumrah versus Gaikwad
Gaikwad's IPL strike rate against Bumrah was 161. Before this game, that was 29 runs in 18 balls with no dismissals.Sherfane Rutherford fires a throw much above the goalie, and the man backing up also makes a mistake, giving a glimpse of the nervousness on exhibit. Regardless of where these clubs now stand on the IPL points table, this is a huge game. After noticing everything and calming everyone down, Bumrah displays signs of nervousness by overstepping off the final ball of the over.
Apr 23, 2026, 7:43 PM
A change in perspective
2 0 5nb 1w 4 6 0 1Gaikwad made an effort to avoid playing powerful strokes on his opening balls earlier in the competition. He doesn't really go big early, even while performing at his best. However, he appears to be trying harder to find boundaries after witnessing the failure of his typical strategies. Naturally, the fact that he was on strike for a bouncer down the leg side (the six) and a free hit (the second four) may have helped. When the ball is coming on beautifully to the bat, Mumbai reacts by slowing down. For the third over, Ghazanfar.
Apr 23, 2026, 7:49 PM
Strikes by Ghazanfar
Gaikwad loses for 22. Fortunately, he was playing an aggressive stroke when he fell. Unfortunately, the skipper of CSK lost his wicket for yet another poor score. He has attempted to set himself up, but it has not been successful. He's also tried punching out, but it hasn't worked. A lot to consider.In the meantime, MI's decision to slow down pays off. When the CSK administration decides to add an Impact Player, they should also take it into consideration. Akeal Hosein also slows down.
Apr 23, 2026, 7:55 PM
The influence of Sarfaraz
200 Sarfaraz Khan's pace-related strike rate. He just blasted Bumrah's opening ball of the game back over his head for six.So far, CSK is doing well. Hardik Pandya, not so much. The fourth and fifth overs are these. Bumrah was called in by MI for a second over during the powerplay. That demonstrates their desperation to turn things around. He would typically be saved for the middle and the end.
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But once more, this is a really favourable terrain for chasing. MI may easily return and improve their score.
Apr 23, 2026, 8:03 PM
High powerplay
CSK scored 73 runs during the powerplay, their second-highest IPL total versus MI. They only made more in 2015 when they reached 90 with Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum.Apr 23, 2026, 8:06 PM
Tactical conflicts
Hardik, the captain of MI, was being hammered all over the park to demonstrate that pace wasn't working. So he left early for Santner and Ghazanfar. He took wickets from both of his spinners.Shivam Dube, who is CSK's finest provider of heavy hits against spin, was moved up to No. 4 during the powerplay. Since they don't have any proven finishers, they have been employing him in that role and have been hesitant to move him up the order. However, Dube's inability to smash fast bowlers for large runs makes him a poor finisher. Therefore, it might not matter if CSK fizzles out in the end because they might score enough runs in the middle.
Apr 23, 2026, 8:15 PM
Dube has left
He has also had a somewhat bad IPL. Ghazanfar thumps his chest with joy after receiving his second. The kind of joy that can only be experienced after overcoming a disadvantage in a contest. Even against a spin-hitter, MI deserves praise for keeping him in the attack. And he deserves praise for not recoiling.Dube is 18, 20 not out, 13 not out, 21, and 5 in his previous five innings. He had some significant cameos for India during their championship-winning T20 campaign.
After seven innings in this IPL, Dube has five sixes.
Apr 23, 2026, 8:25 PM
Mistakes
What's strange is that this innings has seen a lot of boundary balls. Samson was given space by Bumrah to release the arms. Both sides of the wicket were lost by Hardik (2-0-38-0). Samson hammered a rank long hop for six after Ghazanfar sent it down. Santner, who is an expert at maintaining his length, has also bowled a few into the slot. He got hit for six by Brevis, the replacement hitter.6 1w 1 1 0 6 0
Over the past hour or so, these two teams have made some tactical mistakes, but there have also been some grave mistakes.
Apr 23, 2026, 8:28 PM
Fifty Samson
Samson said that he was under pressure from a team that was actively trying to sign him. And since CSK is IPL royalty, he had a slight desire to return the favour. There were then three low scores.After that, Samson took a deep breath, focused solely on his fundamentals during training, scored a hundred, and discovered a level of consistency that is difficult to come by in Twenty20 cricket. Here, he's raised an additional fifty. A wide yorker that was calmly directed to the deep third boundary was one of the crisp shots that brought up the landmark.
Apr 23, 2026, 8:32 PM
Brevis has left
At Wankhede, batting first means you can't give up. Having played here for MI, Brevis is aware of that. He therefore began searching for boundaries as soon as he entered. It looked fantastic when it worked, such as against Santner, who attempted to hide the ball outside off but still hit a six. It appeared to be T20 cricket in the current era. a group that doesn't regress.However, MI hasn't given in to the strain of CSK hitters simply attacking them. Early boundaries were hit by Samson, Gaikwad, Sarfaraz, and Brevis throughout their innings. However, MI has adhered to their plans. Brevis was supposed to keep the ball out of his reach. Brevis can't clear the field with his upper cut because Ashwani's slower bouncer stops him from pulling pace off and entering the wicket.
It's now Samson vs. MI. The new batter is Kartik Sharma. At this point, MI can truly take control of the game.
Apr 23, 2026, 8:44 PM
Samson decelerates
Samson is now forced to consider enduring the 20 overs due to the absence of batting. He scored 44 out of 20. He is 15 off 14 after that. However, he would feel a little more at ease after witnessing Kartik Sharma dismiss Santner in the fourteenth over.1 6 0 0 6 1
Because they frequently try to hit Santner across the line and against the spin, batters are confused by him. Expecting to be slogged, he travels wide and slowly, increasing the likelihood of a mis-hit. Kartik isn't working hard. He goes over extra cover, which is more of a step hit, and over long-off, which is coming down the track. Two excellent shots against a bowler who has outwitted more experienced hitters.
Apr 23, 2026, 8:49 PM
Apr 23, 2026, 8:59 PM
In the seventeenth over, Kartik Sharma scored three dots. At 141 kph and 125 kph, two of those yorkers were expertly managed. Next, two complete tosses. One of them gets the wicket, but after making the catch, Santner, the catcher, crashed awkwardly on his left shoulder, causing him to leave the field.
Apr 23, 2026, 9:14 PM
However, you wonder why more batters don't attempt the ramp shot given that Bumrah has bowled solely yorkers in his last two overs. Samson merely risked a free hit delivery.
Apr 23, 2026, 9:18 PM
Apr 23, 2026, 9:44 PM
Apr 23, 2026, 9:50 PM
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Due to SRH's left-handed top three, CSK didn't want him. They wanted him to oppose MI. De Kock and Tilak are left-handed, but they didn't care. That reveals how individuals perceive Head, Abhishek, and Kishan differently from everyone else.
Bishop also suggests that Akeal has greater faith in his stock ball. Both Malewar and Dhir fall prey to the traditional delivery method of pitching and turning away.
Apr 23, 2026, 10:07 PM
CSK scored their second-highest IPL powerplay goal against MI earlier in the match.
Apr 23, 2026, 10:30 PM
28,517 spectators are watching MI battle back as Tilak Varma, who found form with a century in the previous game, and Suryakumar Yadav, who suffered two terrible punches to the body, begin to open up.
Apr 23, 2026, 10:46 PM
Tilak Varma ridiculed CSK's use of a left-arm spinner, who turns the ball away from the left-hand batter. When Noor spotted the batter sprinting towards him, he attempted to conceal the ball outside, but it was unsuccessful. Tilak was feeling so good that he gave himself a small fist pump after reaching out so far that he smashed it for four.
Even though Akeal twists the ball into Tilak and Akeal brings Tilak down, Gaikwad switches to his other spinner. In order to angle his ball across the left-hander, he arms himself with the around-the-wicket angle. Outside, he bowls the skidder off. Tilak drags on, trying to cut it.
Apr 23, 2026, 10:47 PM
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Gaikwad was perceived as a captain who disliked attacking teams with spin. He went to Akeal (3-1-14-3) and Noor (3-0-19-2) in this game, and they seem to have won it for him. With 42 balls remaining,
I'm not sure how, but MI was given a concussion substitute since Santner, the player they replaced, injured his shoulder rather than his head. Noor Ahmad's hat-trick ball is up against Shardul Thakur, who wasn't in the starting lineup and wasn't MI's Impact Player.
Top-notch Ghazanfar
The powerplay has one over. He defeated the spin-hitter Dube in one over. When Kartik hammered Santner in the final over, CSK thought they had recovered momentum. Outstanding performance in a game under pressure.Apr 23, 2026, 8:59 PM
Supervisor Bumrah
1 0 0 0 W 1In the seventeenth over, Kartik Sharma scored three dots. At 141 kph and 125 kph, two of those yorkers were expertly managed. Next, two complete tosses. One of them gets the wicket, but after making the catch, Santner, the catcher, crashed awkwardly on his left shoulder, causing him to leave the field.
Apr 23, 2026, 9:14 PM
Samson grabs Bumrah
This rivalry is captured in a moment. As Bumrah takes a single and moves to the opposite end, Samson scoops him for four over fine leg and following ball. They exchange words and grin broadly. Being a part of the CSK vs. MI heat is enjoyable for both men.However, you wonder why more batters don't attempt the ramp shot given that Bumrah has bowled solely yorkers in his last two overs. Samson merely risked a free hit delivery.
Apr 23, 2026, 9:18 PM
Samson 101*, CSK 207
In the T20 World Cup semi-final against England, Samson scored 89 runs on this same surface. Playing in his first El Clasico has improved him. Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav also visit him to express their gratitude. There were many yellow-clad people at the Wankhede, all of them standing up. We're still unsure if 207 is a suitable total. KKR lost despite making 220. However, Ashwani Kumar stated in a sideline interview that there hasn't been any dew yet, which is good news for bowlers.Apr 23, 2026, 9:44 PM
A special thanks to Mukesh
We are thinking of Mukesh Choudhary, who has persisted to play this game despite the death of his mother in the run-up to it. He can gain a little swing by bowling the second over on a pitch where the ball is coming on well to the bat, but more significantly, he hasn't handed the batsman an easy out. Not a space. Nothing that can be driven. Nothing that can be pulled or cut. Quinton de Kock does something desperate, his hands stretching out in front of his body, too eager to strike a boundary, and his stumps are destroyed off inside edge. Mukesh's discipline is crucial in helping him control his emotions and handle the pressure of such a big game.Apr 23, 2026, 9:50 PM
Akeal plays the part flawlessly
"Hosein key in the powerplay" was a game ago, according to Bish. He was confident that Akeal could accomplish something similar.0 6 0 0 1 W 0 0 W 0 0 0
Due to SRH's left-handed top three, CSK didn't want him. They wanted him to oppose MI. De Kock and Tilak are left-handed, but they didn't care. That reveals how individuals perceive Head, Abhishek, and Kishan differently from everyone else.
Bishop also suggests that Akeal has greater faith in his stock ball. Both Malewar and Dhir fall prey to the traditional delivery method of pitching and turning away.
Apr 23, 2026, 10:07 PM
Low powerplay
29 was MI's lowest IPL score versus CSK during the powerplay.CSK scored their second-highest IPL powerplay goal against MI earlier in the match.
Apr 23, 2026, 10:30 PM
MI moves on
4 1 4 4 1w 1 1 2w 0 1 1 1 1 4 4 2 4 1 1 128,517 spectators are watching MI battle back as Tilak Varma, who found form with a century in the previous game, and Suryakumar Yadav, who suffered two terrible punches to the body, begin to open up.
Apr 23, 2026, 10:46 PM
Spin with the left arm wins
Right now, left-arm spinner to left-hand batter is a contentious issue. Aaron Finch questioned Axar Patel earlier this season for staying out of the attack while Abhishek Sharma was playing at a high level.Tilak Varma ridiculed CSK's use of a left-arm spinner, who turns the ball away from the left-hand batter. When Noor spotted the batter sprinting towards him, he attempted to conceal the ball outside, but it was unsuccessful. Tilak was feeling so good that he gave himself a small fist pump after reaching out so far that he smashed it for four.
Even though Akeal twists the ball into Tilak and Akeal brings Tilak down, Gaikwad switches to his other spinner. In order to angle his ball across the left-hander, he arms himself with the around-the-wicket angle. Outside, he bowls the skidder off. Tilak drags on, trying to cut it.
Apr 23, 2026, 10:47 PM
CSK spinners at the top
In Chepauk, this is what takes place. Not in Wankhede. Not in Twenty20 cricket.1 0 1lb 4 1 2 1 2 2 1 W 1 W W 0 0 1lb 1
Gaikwad was perceived as a captain who disliked attacking teams with spin. He went to Akeal (3-1-14-3) and Noor (3-0-19-2) in this game, and they seem to have won it for him. With 42 balls remaining,
I'm not sure how, but MI was given a concussion substitute since Santner, the player they replaced, injured his shoulder rather than his head. Noor Ahmad's hat-trick ball is up against Shardul Thakur, who wasn't in the starting lineup and wasn't MI's Impact Player.
Apr 23, 2026, 10:58 PM
Apr 23, 2026, 11:21 PM
A fresh record
The spinners took nine wickets in a single IPL match at Wankhede—four from Akeal, two from Ghazanfar, and two from Noor.Apr 23, 2026, 11:21 PM
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