The El Clasico in football has seen Real Madrid and Barcelona face-off in one of the most intense rivalries in the history of the sport. When you switch to the rivalry between MI and CSK, it is one that started way back in 2008 during the very first IPL auction. Both teams battled it out for MS Dhoni and ultimately, it was Chennai who bagged their 'Thala' at the end and he went on to become an icon of the IPL.
While Mumbai may have missed out on Dhoni, they ended up building quite a dynasty under Rohit Sharma with 5 titles to their name. CSK and Dhoni would match them last season, but under new captains, it's all about bragging rights on April 14, Sunday at the Wankhede stadium. All eyes will surely be cast upon Dhoni when he steps on to the field as this could be the final time that he, could be seen playing in Mumbai. Both teams only face once this season and expect crowds turn up in big numbers to get a glimpse of the former India captain.
Speaking of skippers, Hardik Pandya and Ruturaj Gaikwad will have their hands full on Sunday as they face off in their first IPL Clasico leading these two champion franchises. Both men had their own problems to deal with, but have found support from their teammates. With all the makings of a thriller, MI and CSK promises a lot on the day in Mumbai.
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MI vs CSK: Head-to-Head
Both teams have faced each other 36 times in the IPL and it is Mumbai who hold a 20-16 lead in the head-to-head stats. Last season in the IPL, CSK completed a double over their arch-rivals en route to their fifth IPL title. You can expect Ruturaj and Co. looking to repeat the feat on Sunday.
MI vs CSK: Team News
The hosts were chopping and changing their side constantly in the first four matches as they looked to find the right formula. After the wins over DC and RCB, it seems like MI finally have their perfect XI, which could potentially be the lineup for them till the end of the season.
Shreyas Gopal came in to be a replacement for Piyush Chawla and had a fine outing against RCB. Suryakumar Yadav or Akash Madhwal could be used as the Impact subs in the Clasico on Sunday.
CSK would be sweating over the fitness of Matheesha Pathirana and Deepak Chahar and will be hoping that duo can make it to the lineup. If they remain unavailable, expect CSK to keep the same lineup that defeated KKR in their last game. This would mean they will have as many as 4 local players from Mumbai in their mix in the form of Rahane, Dube, Deshpande and Shardul.
MI vs CSK: Pitch Report
Wankhede has always been considered as a high-scoring ground and one that has assisted the team batting second. This was seen during the MI's win against RCB, where Mumbai made light work of the total posted by Bengaluru.
Expect the same to unfold on Sunday and like Robin Uthappa said, the toss could be crucial.
MI vs CSK: Predicted XI
MI Predicted XI: Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (capt), Tilak Varma, Tim David, Mohammad Nabi, Romario Shepherd, Shreyas Gopal, Jasprit Bumrah, Gerald Coetzee.
Impact Player: Akash Madhwal
CSK Predicted XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Daryl Mitchell, Ravindra Jadeja, Sameer Rizvi, MS Dhoni (wk), Shardul Thakur/Deepak Chahar, 10 Tushar Deshpande, 11 Matheesha Pathirana/Maheesh Theekshana.
Impact Player: Mustafizur Rahman.
MI vs CSK: Prediction
We can expect a high-scoring thriller as these two have always delivered. MI seem to have momentum on their side and CSK has struggled away from home. This could mean that Hardik might get his third win as skipper of MI.
Published On:
Apr 14, 2024
English (US) ·