IPL Dispatch: CSK Complete Third League Double Over MI; Indian Premier League Playoff Dates To Be Confirmed

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) roared back into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 with an emphatic eight-wicket win over Mumbai Indians (MI) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.

The win took CSK to sixth place in the league standings with eight points, just four behind fourth-placed Rajasthan Royals. More than that, the win marked the third time that CSK clinched a league double over fellow five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI), having achieved the feat in 2014 and 2023.

In the reverse fixture at the Wankhede Stadium on April 23, CSK beat MI by 103 runs – the largest win margin by runs this season.

Saturday’s fixture was equally one-sided in favour of the Super Kings. Electing to bat first, MI could manage just 159/7 in 20 overs, with Anshul Kamboj taking three wickets. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Kartik Sharma struck unbeaten half-centuries to lead CSK over the line with 11 balls to spare.

This season’s results have sort of reduced the shine of the so-called El Clasico in the IPL. CSK vs MI remains the most high-profile match in the biggest franchise league in the world, but, over the years, it’s getting increasingly skewed in favour of the Super Kings, who have won six of the last seven of these fixtures.

For MI, the scenario is much more precarious. Hardik Pandya and co. have lost three in a row and are second from last in the league standings with just four points. It is not unusual for MI to suffer early-season wobbles, famously losing the first four games of the 2015 season before going on to lift the trophy.

However, this year, it looks like no such turnaround is on the cards. They have lost seven of their nine games this season, and are only above bottom-placed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on net run rate.

However, MI remain – at least mathematically – in contention for playoffs. With five games remaining in the league phase, Mumbai can achieve a maximum of 14 points. Previously, teams have finished in the last four with 14 points, but MI’s fate is not in their hands.

They need to win their remaining five games with big margins. Furthermore, they need the top three teams – Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Rajasthan Royals – to win their respective games to prevent the other teams from crossing the 14-point threshold. Then, and only then, will MI have a shot of sneaking into the playoffs.

CSK, too, are fighting for a place in the top four. After a poor start to the season, they have won three of the last five games. However, they have been unable to stitch together a winning run, but Saturday’s big win in the “revenge week” will give them a confidence boost ahead of the next match against Delhi Capitals (DC).

More than the two points, it was the nature of the win that made captain Ruturaj Gaikwad happy. CSK were on top from the very first ball, with both their bowling and batting units firing on all cylinders.

Noor Ahmad shone with two wickets – although he should have had three if not for Shivam Dube dropping Naman Dhir at 19. More impressively, it was the pacers who shone in Chennai. Anshul Kamboj was the star of the show, with figures of 3/32 in four overs, and Ramakrishna Ghosh and Jamie Overton took one wicket each.

With a meagre target of 160, CSK suffered an early setback when Sanju Samson was dismissed for 11 by Jasprit Bumrah. Gaikwad, however, held firm at the other end, finishing with 67 not out off 48 balls.

The CSK skipper was given perfect support by young Kartik Sharma, who was made the joint most-expensive player in the IPL 2026 auction. The 27-year-old uncapped batter hit 54 off 40 balls, an innings that included four fours and three sixes. The unbeaten 98-run partnership helped CSK reach 160/2 in 18.1 overs.

IPL Playoff Dates, Venues To Be Confirmed Soon

With the IPL 2026 league phase winding down, a Cricbuzz report said that the playoff dates and venues will be confirmed by the BCCI in the next one or two days. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said that the organisers “are working on what could be the appropriate venue for the IPL playoffs and the final.”

Saikia did not confirm whether Mullanpur and Bengaluru – the home venues for last year’s winner RCB and runner-up Punjab Kings (PBKS) – will host the IPL 2026 playoffs or final. The latter is scheduled for May 31.

Sunday’s Double-Header

While the final is still almost a month away, the focus will shift to the double-header on Sunday. In the first fixture at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will look to move provisionally to the top of the table when they face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The visitors are in eighth place with five points, and another defeat will knock them out of the playoff race.

In the second match, Gujarat Titans (GT) will aim for a third straight win when they host league leaders PBKS. The Kings suffered a six-wicket defeat at the hands of RR on April 28, bringing an end to their unbeaten run this season, and will face a tough test against the high-flying Sunrisers.

Photo of the Day

SKY is not the limit for the CSK debutant! Ramakrishna Ghosh, the 28-year-old all-rounder picked up by the Super Kings for INR 30 lakh in the IPL 2025 auctions, was handed his IPL bow on Saturday against MI, and his maiden appearance could not have gone any better.

Ghosh troubled the MI middle order with his pace variations, starving them of big shots. He also picked up the wicket of Suryakumar Yadav, who holed out straight to Dewald Brevis at deep point. In three overs, Ghosh finished with figures of 1/24.

IPL Code of Conduct to Become Stricter

Talking about the administrative side of the IPL, it has not been smooth sailing for the RR camp this season. The Royals have had two high-profile breaches of the IPL Code of Conduct. First, team manager Romi Bhinder was fined INR 1 lakh for using his mobile phone in the dugout. Then, captain Riyan Parag was seen vaping in the dressing room during the match against PBKS and was handed a 25% fine for his actions.

However, the BCCI has warned that teams that breach the Code of Conduct will face stricter repercussions. “We are exploring some other options about how to bring the teams which are violating the norms,” Saikia said. “We will be taking some action. We are looking at the various terms and conditions and protocols of IPL (on) how the teams behave.”

Quote of the Day

Hardik Pandya is not a happy camper these days. After leading GT to the IPl title in 2022, he opted to return to MI in 2024. However, the move has been, to put it mildly, an unsuccessful one. Any hope that he could turn it around this year is fading with each defeat. After Saturday’s loss, the MI skipper summed up the feeling perfectly in his post-match interview.

“Not the season, I feel, not just the night,” Pandya said. “Yeah, they (CSK) played better, they bowled better, they fielded better, and they batted better.”

Elsewhere…

Returning our focus to international cricket, the Indian women’s team announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which starts on June 12. Harmanpreet Kaur will continue as the captain for the fifth time in the tournament.

New Zealand levelled the T20I series against Bangladesh with a six-wicket rain-interrupted win in the third and final T20I match on Saturday. Following a six-wicket win for Bangladesh in the first match, and the second one being abandoned due to rain, NZ’s latest victory levelled the T20I series 1-1.

Meanwhile, Peshawar Zalmi will look for their second Pakistan Super League (PSL) title when they face debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen in the final on Sunday. The Kingsmen booked their place in the final by beating Multan Sultans and Islamabad United in the playoffs, and will have a chance at glory when they face the Babar Azam-led Peshawar at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.