Mumbai, Apr 19: Chennai Super Kings’ stuttering form may have taken some sheen off this iconic rivalry, but Sunday’s clash at the Wankhede Stadium still holds high stakes as Mumbai Indians look to maintain their late surge and exact revenge for their defeat earlier in the season.

Hardik Pandya’s side, placed seventh on the table, have revived their campaign with back-to-back wins over Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Their execution—especially with the ball—on the tricky Wankhede surface against the explosive SRH line-up was clinical, with the pitch offering unexpected turn and grip for spinners and aiding cutters from pacers. However, the same game plan may not work against a CSK side boasting a formidable spin contingent.

Ravindra Jadeja and the in-form Noor Ahmad—who picked three wickets against MI in the reverse fixture—will be key weapons for Chennai. The Afghan left-arm wrist spinner has already scalped 12 wickets in seven games, and MI must find a way past him to control the middle overs. CSK have also added Dewald Brevis and local youngster Ayush Mhatre to the squad, though their inclusion in the XI remains uncertain.

While CSK snapped their four-match losing streak with a narrow five-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants, the signs of a full turnaround remain faint. However, the return of MS Dhoni to the Wankhede adds a special subplot. The former skipper’s four-ball 20 in the same venue last season—featuring three sixes off Pandya—remains fresh in memory.

Now back at the helm, Dhoni carries the dual responsibility of lifting CSK’s campaign and contributing with the bat in the death overs, all while managing a lingering knee issue.

Mumbai, meanwhile, will hope for another impactful start from Ryan Rickleton and Suryakumar Yadav, while Tilak Varma and Will Jacks' finishing abilities could prove decisive. The bowling unit, led by Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult, has finally begun to find its rhythm. Boult’s accuracy at the death and Bumrah’s sharp lengths will be crucial against CSK’s top and lower order.

MI still have breathing space in the mid-table tussle, but with multiple teams bunched closely together, a slip-up could be costly. For CSK, this is more than just a marquee clash—it’s a chance to reignite belief in a fading campaign.

Match Details

Time: 7:30 PM IST (Toss: 7 PM IST)
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Live Broadcast: Star Sports network
Live Streaming: JioHotstar

Squads

Chennai Super Kings:MS Dhoni (c & wk), Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Shaik Rasheed, Vansh Bedi (wk), C Andre Siddharth, Rachin Ravindra, Ravichandran Ashwin, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Anshul Kamboj, Deepak Hooda, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Dewald Brevis, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Matheesha Pathirana.

Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Robin Minz, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Shrijith Krishnan (wk), Bevon Jacobs, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Will Jacks, Mitchell Santner, Raj Angad Bawa, Vignesh Puthur, Corbin Bosch, Trent Boult, Karn Sharma, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley, VS Penmetsa, Arjun Tendulkar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Jasprit Bumrah.

(IANS)

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