Summary of this article
Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings lock horns in this season's first IPL classico
Both of them are in a similar situation after 6 matches
Match facts and head-to-head stats available
A mouthwatering clash in the Indian Premier League awaits us today as two of the most successful outfits in the competition - the Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians go against each other in match number 33 of IPL 2026 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.
This will be the first meeting between the two giants this season with the return fixture at Chennai's home scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 2 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
By then, both the franchises will gain clarity as to whether they will be able to clinch a top 4 finish or not and that's why today's fixture holds a lot of significance.
Both MI and CSK have been highly inconsistent this season, winning just twice in 6 matches respectively. Mumbai are 7th and Chennai are 8th only because of the former franchise's positive net run-rate (+0.067).
But today, either of the two franchises can go as high as 5th in the points table. This fixture is known as the IPL's 'El Classico' and surely there will be a lot to watch out for in the match.
The possible returns of former 5-time IPL winning captains MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma has ignited a lot of discussions on social media.
Rohit, who featured in the first four matches for MI, had walked off the pitch during the contest against Royal Challengers Bengaluru here 10 days ago with a hamstring injury and has been on a comeback trail since.
On the other hand, Dhoni is yet to take the field in this IPL as he has been nursing a calf strain which he picked up right before the tournament got underway late last month.
But in a positive development, both the former India captains trained hard in the nets with MS Dhoni also practicing some wicket-keeping drills.
Their availability for tonight's Classico is still a secret but fans will be overjoyed if both of them take the field for their respective sides.
MI Vs CSK, IPL 2026: Match Facts
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Date: 23 April 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 7:30PM (IST)
Captains: Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK), Hardik Pandy (MI)
On-field umpires: Adrian Holdstock and Parashar Joshi
3rd Umpire: Kn Ananthapadmanabhan
Match referee: Prakash Bhatt
Current Standings: CSK (8th), MI (7th)
MI Vs CSK, IPL 2026: Head-To-Head Record
Matches played: 39
Mumbai Indians wins: 21
Chennai Super Kings wins: 18
Highest Score (MI): 219
Highest Score (CSK):218
Lowest Score (MI): 136
Lowest Score (CSK): 79
MI Vs CSK, IPL 2026: Squads
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Danish Malewar, Sherfane Rutherford, Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock, Robin Minz, Mayank Rawat, Hardik Pandya (C), Mitchell Santner, Naman Dhir, Raj Bawa, Corbin Bosch, Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Shardul Thakur (Traded from LSG), Mayank Markande (Traded from KKR), Allah Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar, Mohammad Izhar
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Andre Siddarth, Shaik Rasheed, MS Dhoni, Sanju Samson (Traded from RR), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Vansh Bedi, Shivam Dube, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rachin Ravindra, Matthew Short, Jamie Overton, Aman Hakim Khan, Prashant Veer, Zakary Foulkes, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Rahul Chahar, Spencer Johnson (Replacement for Nathan Ellis), Matt Henry, Mukesh Choudhary, Anshul Kamboj, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti
What time does the match start?
The match begins at 7:30 PM IST on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at the Wankhede Stadium.
Will Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni play?
Both are uncertain. Rohit Sharma is recovering from a hamstring injury but practiced in the nets yesterday, while MS Dhoni is managing a calf strain and may feature as an Impact Player.
Where do the teams stand in the points table?
Both teams are currently struggling in the bottom half of the table, with Mumbai Indians at 7th and Chennai Super Kings at 8th, each having 4 points.
What is the head-to-head record?
In 39 total IPL meetings, Mumbai Indians lead with 21 wins compared to Chennai Super Kings' 18 wins.
