Match 3 of this year’s Indian Premier League season brings us a clash of the titans as five-time champions Chennai Super Kings host the other five-time champions and long-time rivals Mumbai Indians at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on March 23.
The Super Kings were well on course to secure playoff qualification last season before key players Mustafizur Rahman and Matheesha Pathirana pulled out of the tournament and they missed out on the final day to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on net run rate.
Following the 2025 mega auction, the CSK management have done exceedingly well to address most of the problem areas, with many former players returning to the team. Although their batting lineup is almost similar to that of last season, their bowling department has strengthened considerably, with plenty of options covering all facets of play.
The Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, had a season to forget, finishing bottom of the pile with just four wins all season. There were also murmurs of discontent and friction in their dressing room, which didn’t help matters either. However, MI have made some quality additions for this season and look set to make a run at least for the playoffs.
That said, MI are set to be without two of their most prized assets in Jasprit Bumrah and captain Hardik Pandya for a while. Bumrah is still awaiting clearance from the NCA amid struggles with his back injury, while Pandya will miss the season opener due to suspension for slow over rate that has been carried forward from last season.
Looking at head-to-head numbers, these two sides have faced each other 37 times, with MI coming out on top 20 times and CSK winning on 17 occasions.
In a season of massive totals, the pitches at the MA Chidambaram last year were some of the best for bowling. In the beginning, there might be some movement off the pitch for the pacers before it hardens and starts suiting the batters. However, as the surface gets old, the spinners come into play and tend to dominate, especially during the second innings. Thus, looking at the two teams’ compositions for this fixture, the Super Kings should have more than enough to get one over their arch-nemeses.
It’s likely to be a decent evening for cricket in Chennai on matchday, with temperatures in the mid-to-high 20s. There will be some cloud coverage with a small chance of light rain.
Fantasy XI: Devon Conway (c), Ryan Rickelton, Rohit Sharma (vc), Suryakumar Yadav, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Sam Curran, Trent Boult, Matheesha Pathirana
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Winners Prediction: Chennai Super Kings
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