The two 5-time champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), have remained neck-and-neck. One can’t let the other get ahead. That remains in IPL 2026, despite the fact that both are struggling. 2 wins and 4 losses each.
But the MI vs CSK clash remains the IPL’s El Clásico. The team isn’t as strong, but the match will be exhilarating. Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni could both make comebacks from injuries. But there’s a possibility that both might warm the bench as well.
MI vs CSK: Match Details
- Match Number: 33
- Date & Time: Thursday, April 23, 7:30 PM IST
- Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
- Live Streaming: JioHotstar app & website
- TV Broadcast: Star Sports Network
Batting haven awaits
Wankhede Stadium might just be the best batting venue in IPL 2026. The lowest score after 6 innings is 195, which was chased down in just 16.3 overs. The 220-mark has been breached four times already. So, expect runs. But who’ll have an advantage if the game comes down to hitting more sixes and fours?
Injuries to play a major role
Well, the truth is that the outcome could depend on player availability. MI may not have Rohit. This forces them to open with Danish Malewar, a 22-year-old who made his T20 debut in the last match. CSK are worse hit. They’ve lost Khaleel Ahmed and Ayush Mhatre. Dhoni may not play either.
Head-to-head in IPL
- Matches Played: 39
- Won (MI): 21 (7 in Mumbai)
- Won (CSK): 18 (5 in Mumbai)
- No Result: 0
MI vs CSK Match Prediction
MI clearly has an advantage. They won their best match without Rohit. Meanwhile, CSK have lost their best batter in Mhatre and their main powerplay bowler in Khaleel. As mentioned above, runs will matter more. And at the moment, Ruturaj Gaikwad can’t buy one. Not to forget that someone will have to replace Mhatre.
Spencer Johnson, who hasn’t played a game since April 2025, will play since Mukesh Choudhary has returned home due to a family emergency. Dewald Brevis hasn’t gotten going just yet, either. But form concerns are present for MI as well. Suryakumar Yadav isn’t scoring runs, and his strike rate has nose-dived.
Sherfane Rutherford and Will Jacks can’t play together. If they do, MI will need to drop one of their two overseas spinners. Hardik Pandya is neither scoring nor getting wickets. However, despite all of this, MI seemed to be better posed for victory.
Prediction: MI to beat CSK (more settled batting unit and less injury issues)
MI vs CSK: Predicted Playing XIs
Mumbai Indians: Quinton de Kock (wk)✈️, Danish Malewar, Naman Dhir, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Will Jacks✈️, Mitchell Santner✈️, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashwani Kumar, Allah Ghazanfar✈️. Impact Sub: Krish Bhagat/Raghu Sharma
Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis✈️, Jamie Overton✈️, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad✈️, Spencer Johnson✈️, Gurjapneet Singh. Impact Sub: MS Dhoni/Kartik Sharma
