MI rediscover rhythm as CSK search for answers

Matthew Hayden has described Mumbai Indians as "notoriously slow starters" but warned IPL teams against letting MI slip ahead, noting that could be their downfall.

Chennai Super Kings would be well advised to heed Hayden's observations ahead of their clash with Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede on Thursday night. Over the past couple of years, this annual fixture has lost some fizz, with both five-time champions struggling. MI finished 10th in 2024, while CSK ended at the bottom last season, but fans still rate it as the El Clasico of the IPL.

Both sides head into the contest with two wins each, but one is coming off a win and the other from a loss. Theoretically, practically and realistically, Mumbai Indians are a much stronger outfit—particularly after their last game against Gujarat Titans. A cornered MI are always dangerous, and since that commanding win, the Hardik Pandya-led side appears to be on the ascendancy. It will not be easy for CSK to stop a reinvigorated MI.

The Wankhede has largely been a bowl-first venue, with each of the three games played here this season producing totals of around or over 200. For CSK to stand a chance against MI, they may need to bat first and try to outscore them with a total in excess of 220. Chasing could prove far tougher—they have not chased down a total over 190 since 2019.

The resurgence of MI, after four consecutive losses, was widely seen as inevitable, and the manner in which they won against GT—posting 199 and bowling the opposition out for 100—suggests they now look a side capable of going on an unstoppable roll if they get past CSK. With the arrival of Will Jacks, both their batting and bowling have been strengthened. How MI use the player, who potentially could have been the MVP of the recent T20 World Cup, remains to be seen.

With his bat not exactly firing, Ruturaj Gaikwad is under pressure. He has managed just 82 runs from six games, and much more is expected of the captain. Sanju Samson is back in his element, but the injury to Ayush Mhatre has come at the wrong time. It is likely Urvil Patel will come in for Mhatre while MS Dhoni could also feature in the playing XII, although it presents a dilemma for everyone involved with CSK.

When: MI vs CSK, IPL 2026, April 23 at 7:30 PM IST
Where: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
What to expect: Back on red soil and smaller ground dimensions. This should be a high-scoring game, as other Wankhede games have been. Teams have largely opted to field first—particularly at this venue—but MI might do well to bat first and try to out-bat CSK, who, in recent times, have not exactly been good chasers.
Head to head: MI 21 – 18 CSK. The home team has an 8-5 edge at the Wankhede, but Super Kings have won four of the last five encounters since 2023.

Team News & Tactics

Mumbai Indians
Injuries/Unavailability: No clarity on Rohit Sharma's availability, but with Jacks joining the side, MI have multiple options in bowling and batting.
Tactics & Match-ups: Jacks could come in for AM Ghazanfar, but the bigger dilemma for MI lies in their opening combination. They could leave out Danish Malewar and promote Naman Dhir to open, but that would be unfair on the rookie Vidarbha opener, who debuted only in the previous game. Alternatively, they may persist with the current opening pair, using Dhir as a floater if Malewar falls early and pushing Tilak Varma up to No. 3 should Quinton de Kock be dismissed first. Ashwani Kumar could be a smart selection, given Ruturaj Gaikwad's relative vulnerability to left-arm pace—he has been dismissed 12 times by left-arm pacers since 2022.
Probable XII: Quinton de Kock (wk), Danish Malewar, Naman Dhir, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Sherfane Rutherford, Krish Bharat, Mitchell Santner, Will Jacks, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashwani Kumar.

Chennai Super Kings
Injuries/Unavailability: MS Dhoni appears to have recovered, although there is no official word yet from the management. Ayush Mhatre has been ruled out of the season, and the management is yet to name a replacement. Meanwhile, Spencer Johnson has joined the team and will bowl in the practice session, confirmed bowling coach Eric Simons.
Tactics & Match-ups: Noor Ahmad looks a good option up against Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, and Sherfane Rutherford, who all have gotten out to the Afghan spinner two or three times.
Probable XII: Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, MS Dhoni (wk), Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Spencer Johnson, Gurjapneet Singh.

Key Stats

• MI and CSK have lost 21 matches each since 2024, the most losses among the 10 teams in the competition.
• The chasing side has won six of the 10 IPL games at Wankhede since 2025. The average first innings score in these 10 games is 188, while the average first innings score in wins is 214.
• Since 2024, MI have lost the most number of matches while chasing (12), followed by CSK (10).

Quotes

"It's just another game—only the name changes. Cricket remains the same. A bad ball is still a bad ball, and there will always be scoring opportunities. The name Chennai Super Kings may make it feel like a big game, but as a cricketer, once you gain experience, you learn to put aside the noise and focus on the contest between bat and ball. That's something I've always done since childhood—look ahead, assess the situation and the demands of the game, and respond accordingly. In the end, batting comes down to a few simple elements."
— Tilak Varma, MI batter, on the rivalry against CSK

"You have to look at the game all the time with a sense of understanding of what's happened. Mumbai were in trouble. The gentleman (Tilak Varma) who just left played an incredible knock. And that turns the game around. The T20 game is often about someone doing something particularly special in a moment. A great performance is just around the corner with the kind of quality in these two teams. We don't get too caught up in the fact that we've come off a loss and that they've come off a win. It starts again tomorrow, and that's what we'll focus on. But one performance in this format, with the quality of the players we have, can make all the difference."
— Eric Simons, CSK bowling coach, on the MI-CSK match