The ultimate showdown: the IPL’s most-iconic rivalry.
CSK and MI, the most dominant teams in IPL history with five titles apiece, will collide once again on the opening weekend of the upcoming season, reigniting their legendary rivalry.
The rivalry has also evolved over time. Many fans grew accustomed to witnessing MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma leading the teams onto the field and making decisions. However, in IPL 2024, captaincy was passed on to Ruturaj Gaikwad and Hardik Pandya. Unfortunately, neither could steer their team to the playoffs. While CSK narrowly fell short, MI finished last and Hardik faced a hostile reception from their supporters.
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Hardik may have redeemed himself with MI supporters after his contributions to India’s T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy triumphs. Unfortunately, he will not be able to play in Sunday’s game at Chepauk due to a penalty from last season for slow over-rates. As a result, Suryakumar Yadav will step in as captain. Additionally, Jasprit Bumrah’s absence until April due to injury will pose further challenges for MI. Finding suitable replacements for these two invaluable players is no easy task.
MI has a long history of struggling in their opening game. In fact, it has been since 2012 that they clinched a victory in the beginning of their season. Coach Mahela Jayawardene was quick to acknowledge this fact, as it came up even before their first press conference of the year.
For CSK, their return to their comfort zone at the spin-friendly Chepauk stadium is a welcome one. With a focus on utilizing their home advantage, they have selected a squad filled with slower bowlers. R Ashwin is expected to showcase his past glory – as he recently mentioned “it feels like 2011 again” at a book launch in Chennai – while Ravindra Jadeja and newcomer Noor Ahmad may offer a glimpse into the team’s future through their skilled left-arm wristspin abilities.
Dhoni’s presence in Chennai last month sparked quite a commotion. Now, just imagine the buzz that would surround IPL 2025 if he continues to showcase his incredible six-hitting abilities from last season.
At Chepauk, a packed audience will be treated to the game as gates open three hours before start time. It’s sure to be quite a spectacle.
Devotion to different entities
Deepak Chahar and Dhoni have been teammates in the same squad at both CSK and RPS for all of Chahar’s 81 IPL games. However, for the first time ever, Chahar will now face off against Dhoni and his former team, CSK. Joining him in the new lineup at MI is Trent Boult, with whom he could form a formidable opening bowling duo. Another player from CSK’s past, Mitchell Santner, has also found a new home at MI.
Anshul Kamboj, a rookie seamer who played for MI in the previous IPL season, has now joined CSK for IPL 2025. His talent for swinging the new ball in both directions makes him a potential candidate to take Chahar’s place at CSK, alongside Khaleel Ahmed.
The latest updates on the team and their potential starting lineups.
Although CSK’s squad is currently free of any injuries, they are faced with the dilemma of having too many players to choose from. Will it be Devon Conway or Rachin Ravindra? Perhaps Vijay Shankar or Deepak Hooda? The tough decision continues with Sam Curran or Jamie Overton, and Khaleel Ahmed or Anshul Kamboj?
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In lieu of Hardik’s absence, Suryakumar will serve as the captain for MI in their first match. South African allrounder Corbin Bosch, who was part of MI Cape Town’s championship SA20 team, may be recruited to provide the same balance that Hardik typically offers, unless MI opts for an additional overseas spinner like Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Satyanarayana Raju, an experienced bowler known for his abilities at the death during his time in the Andhra Premier League, could potentially join as an Impact Player and replace one of the batters when it is MI’s turn to bowl. Interestingly, Raju was among the initial batch of bowlers invited to practice at the nets on the eve of the game at hand, at just 25 years old.
The possible lineup for Mumbai Indians includes players such as Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton as wicket-keeper, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav as captain, Naman Dhir, Robin Minz, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch or Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Trent Boult and Satyanarayana Raju or Ashwani Kumar.
The pressing issue at hand.
In the past, MI has had noteworthy international players such as Kieron Pollard and Lasith Malinga. However, this season, they have some lesser-known players in the IPL, including Ryan Rickelton and Bosch. With two top Indian players missing from their first match in the 2025 IPL, how will they maintain a strong batting lineup and options for bowling? Could Bosch be the suitable replacement for Hardik?
Taking center stage are Noor Ahmad and Suryakumar Yadav, both of whom have been in the spotlight recently.
Noor Ahmad, the talented 20-year-old wristspinner from Afghanistan, has been earmarked by Gaikwad as a standout player for CSK. His impressive ability to generate significant turn at high speeds could prove to be a crucial asset for CSK’s attack, especially on the spin-friendly pitch at Chepauk. In fact, in his previous experience playing in a franchise T20 tournament on similar surfaces, Noor was virtually unhittable and ultimately earned the Player-of-the-Tournament award in CPL 2024. It is worth noting that Noor is not unfamiliar with the Super Kings team, having previously worked with Stephen Fleming during his time with Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA.
In his recent T20 performances, Suryakumar Yadav has not been able to surpass the score of 15 in five consecutive innings and has only reached fifty in nine innings. Despite this, MI remains unconcerned about his form. During his previous match against CSK at Chepauk in 2023, he faced challenges on a sluggish pitch from Jadeja, Maheesh Theekshana, and Moeen Ali. As we approach Sunday’s game, the question is whether he will be able to turn his luck around.
Some significant figures
In the IPL, Boult has dominated Gaikwad by dismissing him three times in just 26 balls and only giving up 23 runs.
In the IPL, Suryakumar has faced difficulties when playing against Jadeja. He has only scored 45 runs in 59 balls with a strike rate of under 77 and has been dismissed on three occasions.
With a total of 50 wickets in 42 innings and an economy rate of 6.26, Ashwin has proven to be the top bowler at Chepauk in the IPL.
In their recent head-to-head matches, CSK has emerged victorious in five out of the last six encounters against MI, with an impressive streak of three consecutive wins.
The playing surface and weather circumstances.
It is probable that a sluggish pitch, conducive to spin, will be prepared for the upcoming match on Sunday. It is possible that both squads may opt to include three primary spinners in their lineups. The presence of dew proved to be a significant factor in the 2024 IPL and TNPL tournaments, but the revised IPL regulations now permit the bowling team to request a new ball after the tenth over in evening games, potentially mitigating its effects.
The upcoming trio of matches.
Following their match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Chepauk on Friday, CSK will have a four-day break. Their next match will be on Sunday in Guwahati against Rajasthan Royals (RR), before returning home for an afternoon game against Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 5.
MI is set to hit the road, with Hardik returning to captain them against his former team GT in Ahmedabad on March 29. Following that, they will head to Mumbai for their first home match of the season against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders on March 31. After playing at the high-scoring Wankhede, they will then move on to the potentially low-scoring Ekana stadium for their game against Lucknow Super Giants on April 4.
