MI, CSK set for ‘El Clasico’, will Dhoni, Rohit play?:Sanju Samson vs Jasprit Bumrah battle key in Mumbai

The ‘Mother of all battles’ is upon us as the Mumbai Indians (MI) square off against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in what promises to be an epic contest, in match 33 of IPL 2026 on 23 April. The iconic Wankhede Stadium is set to witness this spectacle as the two most successful teams in IPL history battle each other for bragging rights. Not just defeating each other, but both MI and CSK would be out to add steam to their otherwise tottering campaigns so far in IPL 2026. Both teams have had two wins each, having played six matches and these are numbers certainly not expected from IPL’s behemoths. After suffering a hat-trick of losses to start their campaign, CSK registered back-to-back victories before stumbling to a loss against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. MI, on the other hand, had a winning start by beating KKR in their first match, but four consecutive losses seemed to derail their campaign big time. But the five-time winners dished out a powerful show against the Gujarat Titans to return to winning ways in their last match. Rohit Sharma’s return remains a mystery for the team. The Hitman had trained with his MI teammates before their game against the Gujarat Titans, but did not feature in the match. Whether he plays against the Chennai Super Kings remains uncertain. The focus will also be on MS Dhoni, who is yet to feature this season. The CSK great took part in training sessions at the Wankhede Stadium and according to RevSportz, the team management has left it on him to decide if he is ready to feature against the five-time winners. MI vs CSK IPL 2026 Match Details Match info: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, match 33
Date Time: 23 April 2026, 7:30 PM IST (Toss at 7:00 PM)
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
How to watch: JioHotstar and Star Sports
How to follow: Follow live coverage on the Bhaskar English App MI vs CSK head-to-head record Mumbai Indians have a slight edge over the Chennai Super Kings when it comes to head-to-head showdowns in the IPL. The two teams have squared off for a total of 39 times, with MI winning 21 matches. CSK have secured victories in 18 games. The spoils were shared when these two teams faced each other twice last year. The first of these encounters was on 23 March at Chepauk, where CSK emerged victorious by four wickets. Mumbai Indians then made it 1-1 for the season when they beat CSK by nine wickets at the Wankhede on 20 April. CSK bank on Sanju Samson, Anshul Kamboj Sanju Samson and Anshul Kamboj have been the best performers in CSK’s stuttering campaign thus far. Samson, the first centurion in IPL 2026, has hit 192 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 174.54. Young Anshul Kamboj has wonderfully shouldered the bowling responsibilities. The pacer has picked up 13 wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 9.73. Naman Dhir, Allah Ghazanfar figures of consistency for MI For the Mumbai Indians, it has been two youngsters- Naman Dhir and Allah Ghazanfar who have been the most consistent players in their side. Naman Dhir, who batted at number three in MI’s win over the Gujarat Titans, has scored 154 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 152.47. Ghazanfar has made quite an impact in the bowling department with six wickets in four matches so far. The Mumbai Indians would also look to Tilak Varma for inspiration after the left-hander blasted a sensational century in his team’s victory over the Gujarat Titans. Sanju Samson vs Jasprit Bumrah in focus One of the biggest player battles that would be in focus is the Sanju Samson vs Jasprit Bumrah showdown. The two stalwarts have had a pretty even battle so far in the IPL, with Samson scoring just 64 runs off the 61 balls he has faced against Bumrah, having a strike rate of 104.91. The premier pacer meanwhile, has dismissed Samson twice, maintaining an economy rate of 6.29 against the CSK wicketkeeper-batter. Wankhede Stadium pitch report The Wankhede Stadium has traditionally been a high-scoring venue and that trend has not changed this season as well. With some explosive players in both teams, the MI vs CSK match is likely to witness big scores. Bowling will only get tough in the second innings due to the expected presence of dew and hence, the team that wins the toss could elect to bowl first. Mumbai weather report The weather in Mumbai is expected to be free of rain with clear skies prevailing during the match. The temperature might hover between 30 to 35 degrees Celsius. The atmosphere is expected to be very humid in Mumbai during this match.