The first ‘el clasico’ of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) will take place on Thursday (April 23) at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium when the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) take on Mumbai Indians (MI) as both teams aim to revive their season after poor starts. MI is currently 7th on the table with two wins in six games, while CSK is eighth with a similar record.
The Super Kings have been hit with a major injury blow ahead of the big clash as Ayush Mhatre has been ruled out of the tournament due to an injury. His absence will come as a big blow to the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led team, as he was their highest run-getter so far with 201 runs in six matches with an incredible strike-rate of 177.87.
Urvil Patel is likely to come into the playing XI as a result after surprisingly not playing a single game so far. The wicketkeeper has impressed in domestic cricket with his attacking style and even showed glimpses of his potential in the 2025 season for the Super Kings after coming in as an injury replacement for Vansh Bedi.
While ₹14 crore star Kartik Sharma is another option, Patil is more suited to the number three spot as a top-order batter.
Will MS Dhoni Play?
MS Dhoni could make his maiden appearance of the season after missing the first six games due to a calf injury. While CSK has so far not given any confirmation, the 44-year-old was spotted having a long training session at Wankhede two days before the match, where he even kept wickets before batting. If Dhoni is fit, he might replace Sarfaraz Khan.
Spencer Johnson To Debut?
Spencer Johnson, who was signed as an injury replacement for Nathan Ellis, joined the squad earlier this week. With the Super Kings struggling with the pace-bowling unit after Matt Henry failed to leave an impact and was dropped. Johnson could return soon. After an injury to Khaleel Ahmed, the Men in Yellow are also devoid of an experienced left-arm pacer.
If Spencer is fit, CSK could drop an Indian pacer as well as Matthew Short and bring Prashant Veer in the line-up to strengthen their lower-order batting as well as get another bowling option. Kartik coming in cannot be ruled out either.
CSK Likely Playing XII VS MI: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Sanju Samson, Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni/Sarfaraz Khan, Karthik Sharma/Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Spencer Johnson, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmed
