MI vs CSK: No MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma for IPL's El Clasico
Fans were left disappointed as two of the Indian Premier League's biggest names, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, missed the IPL 2026 El Clasico between the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on April 23.
Fans were left disappointed as two of the Indian Premier League’s biggest icons, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, missed the much-anticipated IPL 2026 El Clasico between the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on April 23.
MI vs CSK: UPDATES | SCORECARD
There had been hope leading into the contest that at least one of the two stalwarts would make a return, but those expectations were dashed at the toss.
Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya called correctly and opted to bowl first, expressing satisfaction with the balance of his side and confirming that MI would field an unchanged XI from their win over Gujarat Titans three days earlier. The decision, however, also confirmed that Rohit Sharma, who is nursing a hamstring injury, was not yet fit to resume duties.
Chennai Super Kings, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, made one change, but MS Dhoni remained on the sidelines as he continues to recover from a calf strain picked up ahead of the tournament.
Both captains said they would have preferred to bowl on a surface that had a green tinge but was expected to play well. “Looks green but it plays pretty well,” Hardik said at the toss. Gaikwad added that uncapped Prashant Veer had been brought in for Matt Short, although the team sheet listed Kartik Sharma in the XI instead.
Rohit, who played the first four matches of the season, had walked off during the game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at this venue with a hamstring issue and has been working his way back since. Dhoni, meanwhile, is yet to feature this season. He had an extended session earlier this week, keeping wickets and batting in the nets, as he builds towards a return.
Both teams have had a slow start to the season and are placed near the bottom of the table. Their approach has come under scrutiny, especially Chennai Super Kings, who have lost four of their six matches. Gaikwad has also faced pressure amid a dip in form, while injuries to players like Ayush Mhatre and Khaleel Ahmed have added to the team’s concerns.
Mumbai Indians XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (capt), Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell Santner, Krish Bhagat, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar
Impact Player options: Will Jacks, Raj Bawa, Shardul Thakur, Danish Malewar, Mayank Rawat
Chennai Super Kings XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Sanju Samson (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Gurjapneet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary
Impact Player options: Prashant Veer, Matt Short, Matt Henry, Akeal Hosein, Urvil Patel
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
Fans were left disappointed as two of the Indian Premier League’s biggest icons, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, missed the much-anticipated IPL 2026 El Clasico between the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on April 23.
MI vs CSK: UPDATES | SCORECARD
There had been hope leading into the contest that at least one of the two stalwarts would make a return, but those expectations were dashed at the toss.
Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya called correctly and opted to bowl first, expressing satisfaction with the balance of his side and confirming that MI would field an unchanged XI from their win over Gujarat Titans three days earlier. The decision, however, also confirmed that Rohit Sharma, who is nursing a hamstring injury, was not yet fit to resume duties.
Chennai Super Kings, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, made one change, but MS Dhoni remained on the sidelines as he continues to recover from a calf strain picked up ahead of the tournament.
Both captains said they would have preferred to bowl on a surface that had a green tinge but was expected to play well. “Looks green but it plays pretty well,” Hardik said at the toss. Gaikwad added that uncapped Prashant Veer had been brought in for Matt Short, although the team sheet listed Kartik Sharma in the XI instead.
Rohit, who played the first four matches of the season, had walked off during the game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at this venue with a hamstring issue and has been working his way back since. Dhoni, meanwhile, is yet to feature this season. He had an extended session earlier this week, keeping wickets and batting in the nets, as he builds towards a return.
Both teams have had a slow start to the season and are placed near the bottom of the table. Their approach has come under scrutiny, especially Chennai Super Kings, who have lost four of their six matches. Gaikwad has also faced pressure amid a dip in form, while injuries to players like Ayush Mhatre and Khaleel Ahmed have added to the team’s concerns.
Mumbai Indians XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (capt), Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell Santner, Krish Bhagat, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar
Impact Player options: Will Jacks, Raj Bawa, Shardul Thakur, Danish Malewar, Mayank Rawat
Chennai Super Kings XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Sanju Samson (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Gurjapneet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary
Impact Player options: Prashant Veer, Matt Short, Matt Henry, Akeal Hosein, Urvil Patel
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
